An innovative road safety program aimed at young sports people has
been launched with the support of several of Melbourne Football Club’s
rising stars, who will be ambassadors for the
‘Don’t Drive
Like a Demon’ program.
Representing a partnership between the Mornington Peninsula and
Nepean Football League (MPNFL), ConnectEast (the owner and operator of
EastLink), RoadSafe Outer South East, and the Melbourne Football Club,
the MPNFL EastLink Road Safety Program is
targeted specifically at young footballers and netballers.
Trained facilitators, with the help of a DVD featuring AFL
players Tom Scully, Nathan Jones and Matthew Bate, as well as Melbourne
Vixens and Australian netball champion Bianca Chatfield, and Victoria
Police Deputy Commissioner Ken Lay, will raise awareness amongst young
drivers about the risks and consequences of dangerous driving.
The MPNFL EastLink Road Safety Program uses sport as the vehicle
to spread the word directly to players at their clubrooms – without
lecturing them – through practical demonstrations, EastLink CCTV footage
and discussion about tunnel safety, sharing the road and driver
concentration.
‘Don’t Drive Like a Demon’ is
Phase 3 of the MPNFL EastLink Road Safety Program which began in 2008
and is supported by Victoria Police, CFA, SES, the RACV and several
local councils in Melbourne’s south-east.
Road safety is a compelling issue in Melbourne's outer east and
south-east. Four of the top seven municipalities for road deaths in
Victoria are located in or near this region, with drivers aged between
18 and 25 over-represented in road accident statistics.
The three-year MPNFL EastLink program provides clubs and players
with the information to make good road safety decisions and to become
leaders in positive decision-making. The Phase 3 ‘Don’t
Drive Like A Demon’ Program will be delivered to 32 football and
netball clubs and over 4,000 players and officials.
The first session is due to be held at Sorrento Football Club on 4
May.
“Melbourne Football Club is delighted to provide six of our
players – Tom Scully, Nathan Jones, Matthew Bate, Daniel Bell, Michael
Newton and Ricky Petterd – as Road Safety Ambassadors for the program,”
said Melbourne FC Football Manager Chris Connolly.
ConnectEast Managing Director, Dennis Cliche, said the EastLink
operator was proud to support such a targeted and worthwhile road safety
program.
“As the operator of one of Melbourne’s busiest roads, safe
driving is of paramount concern to ConnectEast, and we are pleased to be
associated with a number of high profile road safety advocates in
delivering this program,” Mr Cliche said.
“Since opening in mid-2008, EastLink has established an excellent
safety record due to a combination of world-class road design,
sophisticated technology systems and a rapid on-road incident response
capability.”
EastLink has had around one third of the rate of accidents
resulting in injury experienced on comparable urban freeways in Victoria
and about one fifth of the rate of casualty accidents on nearby
arterial roads such as Springvale and Stud Roads.
ConnectEast’s commitment to safe driving is further highlighted
by its support of a range of local road safety initiatives along with a
recent agreement with safety consultants, the ARRB Group, to co-operate
on road safety and other operational road research matters.
Last Modified on 29/04/2010 16:02