Premiers spread road safety word

Road Safety Southland and Southland's premier grade rugby clubs will be spreading the message about drink-driving when the season gets under way from today.

All six of Southland's prem-ier club teams will feature the slogan "I don't drink-drive" on their jerseys, something that is believed to be a New Zealand first.

Road Safety Southland community adviser of road safety Jane Ballantyne said the partnership with club rugby was an innovative way to get the word out to the public.

Last year there were 10 fatal crashes on Southland roads in wihch 13 people were killed. Seven of those crashes involved alcohol.

Ms Ballantyne will be talking to members of each premier team and the clubs had been proactive as well, she said.

"We were hoping to get one or two of the clubs on board, but to get all of them is really great. Not one club stood back on this."

The slogan is a pact that rugby players will be asked to enter into. While there was no binding obligation, the idea was to create something the players would buy into. "The premier guys are the ones that everyone else in the club looks up to," she said.

Clubs were being asked to support the concept by introducing iniatives such as courtesy vans to get club patrons home safely.

Woodlands stalwart and former Southland representative Brent Shepherd said the club, which is about 15 minutes out of Invercargill, would be doing what it could to prevent drink-driving, including laying on courtesy coaches.

"There have been too many accidents where young people have been killed in Southland and a lot of them have involved alcohol. It's just a waste," he said.

Pirates-Old Boys representative Geoff Ryan said the club was proud to be associated with Road Safety Southland.

He hoped every club in the province would get behind the concept.

Because of the premier club season being brought forward this year, clubs have been finding it difficult getting their new jerseys printed in time.

Woodlands and Blues, who will feature the "I don't drink-drive" slogan on the front of their jerseys, were hoping to have them ready for the opening round today.

- © Fairfax NZ News

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