In a first for New Zealand rugby, regional jerseys have been modified to buckle down on safety - literally.
On the weekend, Northland and Canterbury NPC players played in special edition jerseys, where the classic stripes were flipped diagonally, representing a seatbelt.
The campaign, run by NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA) with Northland and Canterbury Rugby Unions, wants to get people thinking seriously about clicking their belts in before driving - for themselves, their whānau, and their mates.
The jerseys hit the field on Sunday, 28 September at Semenoff Stadium in Whangārei, targeting those statistically least likely to buckle up - men aged 18 to 39 living in rural communities.
“Wearing a seatbelt is one of the easiest, fastest and most effective ways to protect yourself from injury in a crash. It reduces the risk of dying or being seriously injured by 40%,” says NZTA’s Tara MacMillan.
If everyone buckled up, we could save around 20 lives every year.
Seatbelts have been compulsory since the 1970s, yet since 2020, 447 people have been killed in crashes not wearing their belts. That’s a shocking 34% of all road deaths being unrestrained.
Looking at just Northland, that stat makes up nearly half (61 people) of unrestrained deaths and in Canterbury, a third (52 people).
“The numbers show how hard Northland has been hit by road deaths when seatbelts weren’t worn. Our clubs are the centre of our communities, and when one person is lost, we all feel it.”
If these jerseys could prompt just one more person to buckle up, that’s enough for us.
Canterbury Head Coach Marty Bourke adds: “The team is honoured to be able to wear these special edition jerseys, in the hopes that it will remind people of the importance of buckling up every drive.”
“It’s also great to know that beyond game day, they’ll be hanging in community club rooms around Canterbury and Northland to keep this issue top of mind.”
The initiative is part of NZTA’s National Road Safety Programme, asking “Who do you wear it for?” - getting Kiwis to think about who would be left behind.
It’s a great reminder to strap yourself in for every drive, even if it’s just for a short trip down the road.
"Buckling up every drive" might just save your life.
