Corio’s Jacob Sammut-Miljevic knows the damaging impact road trauma can have.
When he was nine older brother Michael was involved in a local car accident after getting in a vehicle alongside a drink-driver.
The crash left his then-18-year-old brother and North Shore Football Club player with serious injuries to the left side of his body, later resulting in three months of rehabilitation.
“It had a massive impact on the family, his mates and everyone at the footy club, too. It was tough on us all,” Jacob said.
“So that’s something Michael has really pushed on me a lot, to make safe decisions on the road whether you’re driving or getting in the car with someone else.”
Now, a decade later, Michael recently played his 150th game and is a driving force behind the TAC’s inaugural Towards Zero Round this weekend.
Michael will present Seagulls captain Mitch Vandenberg with a number zero guernsey on match day to raise awareness about the importance to push for a zero road toll.
Jacob said the round will open up conversations about road safety within the club environment and the wider community.
“I’m very proud the club is getting behind something like this as road trauma affects so many people,” the 19-year-old said.
“Geelong is pretty big about their footy, so I think footy clubs can really play an important role in getting the message out there a bit better.”
The North Shore Seagulls are one of more than 40 football and netball clubs across the region supporting the state-wide initiative.
The round comes in the wake of the Victorian road toll soaring to 173, a 55 per cent increase on the same time last year.
