This is the 24^th year of the partnership between the WACFL and the Insurance Commission to promote the Belt Up road safety message. 

A major partnership event is the Belt Up Round, which will run 20-22 May 2021 in all competing leagues. The round has a special significance for our 12,500 country football players, as many will know someone affected by a road crash. Players will hold a minute’s silence to remember those injured or killed on the road.

All league footballs and player uniforms will carry the Belt Up logo for this and every round of senior men’s and women’s football in regional Western Australia.

WAFC Country Football and Facilities Executive Manager, Tom Bottrell, said that the Belt Up Round helps to drive better behaviour on country roads. “The Insurance Commission continues to support us since young men in country areas are over-represented in crashes and in injury insurance claims.  Every year we hear of players who are injured or lose their lives on country roads and the devastation this causes to their families, mates, our clubs and the community is significant.”

Chief Executive of the Insurance Commission, Rod Whithear, said there are about 100 people killed or seriously injured each year in crashes on WA roads who were not wearing a seatbelt. 

“Wearing a seat belt significantly lessens the likelihood of serious injuries being sustained in a crash, so it is frustrating to receive injury claims from people who simply didn’t belt up” he said.

“We spent half a billion dollars last year as a result of people injured in crashes. That places upward pressure on insurance premiums. We’d rather see people out on the field than hurt in a crash and have to deal with us.”

ENDS....

For more information:

WACFL Office

Email: wacountry@wafc.com.au