Modbury Soccer Club don’t drop the ball on road safety

In recognition of National Road Safety Week this May, the South Australian Good Sports club is sharing how they ‘drive so others survive’ all year round.

Reducing traffic and crashes on the roads

The club’s Treasurer, Michael Gallina, says the club has a strong culture of shared responsibility, with its members rallying together to create a carpool system to make sure everyone gets to and from their destination safely.

“We often have multiple teams traveling to games that can take up to an hour and a half each way during peak hours.

“Having our members carpool means less vehicles navigating busy roads which also helps reduce the number of collisions, keeping our players and community safe.”

Carpooling is a great opportunity to chat

As well as reducing congestion and enhancing road safety, Michael says carpooling helps foster a greater sense of community by bringing players closer together.

“It’s a really great way for players to get to know each other outside of the game. It's amazing what you can find out about someone from starting a simple conversation – that’s when people start opening up and sharing experiences,” Michael continued.

“These simple conversations really do change the environment of a club, and we’re proud to call ours a family.”

Longer drives see buses hired

When Modbury teams need to travel longer distances for games, the club hires buses to fight fatigued and distracted driving which are common dangers on longer drives and major contributors to road trauma.

“Hiring buses means players can sit back and enjoy the ride rather than rushing to make it to an early morning away game,” Michael said.

“If it’s a really long trip with an early start time we’ll hire a bus to take the players up the night before to avoid heavy traffic and give players the chance to have a full night of sleep.

“Bringing the players together for these longer trips is another great opportunity for team bonding, helping to encourage a sense of belonging and contributing to the overall well-being of our members.

“It's not just about winning games at Modbury Soccer Club, it’s about building a community and keeping them safe and connected.”

Working with almost 12,000 community sports clubs, including over 1,400 in SA, Good Sports is Australia’s largest community health sports program.

In SA, it’s managed by the Alcohol and Drug Foundation and funded by the Australian Government and the South Australian Government through the THINK! Road Safety Partnerships program. Check out the Good Sports’ free safe transport resources to help you put together safe transport practices for your club.