Keeping your club members safe on the roads

But, there are things your club can do to help keep everyone safe.

Whether you’re in the city, suburbs, regional or rural – we’ve got some top road safety tips for your club.

Tarrawanna Blueys Football Club doing road safety right

The Tarrawanna Blueys are based in NSW, on the coast near Wollongong.

They were crowned the 2025 Good Sports Safe Transport Club of the Year and have been part of the program for more than 15 years.

“We have a number of strategies in place to help our members get home safely,” said Club President, Michael Dent.

“Any major function we run comes with a clear set of guidelines, safe transport options and expectations about alcohol and behaviour. Our regular sponsor events include access to a courtesy bus and free call service for taxis.

“We also ensure all our premier events come with multiple safe transport arrangements. Our recent presentation night included door-to-door bus transport for members, in the ticket price.”

Top road safety tips for sporting clubs

• Develop a Good Sports Policy incorporating Safe Transport Policy items. Log into the Good Sports portal or join now.
• Get game ready: Plan ahead to make sure you know how many members and guests will likely need help getting home and come up with a game plan.
• Designated drivers: Provide free non-alcoholic drinks and food or snacks for members who are happy to get their mates home safely.
• Board the bus: Connect with local organisations in your area to borrow or hire a bus for games or events. Keep the bus alcohol-free, making sure everyone can get home safely at the other end. Orange United Sports Club partnered up with a local org to borrow their 12-seater bus. Your club might want to do a fundraising drive to buy or hire buses like Tuross Head Tennis Club.
• Carpooling: Encourage your members to carpool to events and games like Modbury Soccer Club do – the less people on the roads, the safer everyone is.
• Say it loud online: Regularly promote road safety messages on your club’s social media (Facebook and Instagram) and website. Download the Getting Home Safe Kit to share on your social media, or get in touch with your Good Sports contact if you’d like more help with messaging.
• Walking: If people live nearby and want to walk home, make sure a sober person goes with them.

Tips for city and suburban clubs

• Taxis and rideshare: Make sure you have the numbers of local taxi services and names of rideshare companies displayed. You could include QR codes for rideshare apps to encourage members to download them (like Uber or Didi).
• Great prizes: Taxi or rideshare vouchers also make great prizes for raffles, games and awards.
• Public transport timetable: Print out or share links to local public transport timetables so everyone can find out when the last bus, train or tram is. Google Maps shows public transport info in most places.

Tips for regional and rural clubs

We know clubs in regional and rural areas have extra challenges getting everyone home safe when taxis and public transport often aren’t an option. Here are some more ideas you could try out:

• Sleepovers: Rapid Bay Cricket Club is onto a winner with its club swags. Members who drive a long way to play are welcome to stay in the clubrooms in a cosy swag.
• Member benefits: Do a special deal with a local hotel or motel for one-night stays for weary club members.
• Starry nights: Talk to the local caravan park. Negotiate a cheap rate for members to pitch a tent or hire a caravan for the night.
• Bunk up: Encourage club members who live further away to stay at a mate’s place close by.

Update your club’s safe transport practices today by logging into the Good Sports online portal.

If you’re not a Good Sports club yet, sign up today! Our Good Sports team is ready to talk you through any questions you might have. And it’s free. Give it a go.