This is the 25^th year of the partnership between the WACFL and the Insurance Commission to promote the Belt Up road safety message.

Our major partnership event is the Belt Up Round, which will run from 19-21 May in all competing leagues. The round has a special significance for our 12,500 country football players, as many know someone affected by a road crash. To remember those injured or killed on the road, players will hold a minute’s silence at each of their League level games.

All league footballs and player uniforms continue to carry the Belt Up logo for this and every round of senior men’s and women’s football in regional Western Australia. To celebrate the 25^th year of the WACFL’s partnership with the Belt Up message, special guernseys have been designed to be presented post-match to the best player in each team across every Women’s, Men’s, and Colt’s fixture in Country WA.

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 as young men in country areas are over-represented in car crashes. 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.”

“The Belt Up message is synonymous with Country Football in WA and we can’t be more proud than to be celebrating 25 years of helping to make our roads safer in country WA.”

Alison Wilson, the Insurance Commission’s General Manager Governance and Stakeholder Engagement, said about 100 people killed or seriously injured each year in crashes on WA roads while not wearing a seatbelt.

“We are proud to have partnered with Country Football for the past 25 years to deliver the Belt Up message to the regional football community. The Belt Up message is so important, as wearing a seat belt can significantly decrease the severity of injuries sustained in a car crash.

“We’d rather see people out on the field than hurt in a crash.”

ENDS....

For more information:

WACFL Office

Email: wacountry@wafc.com.au