Sutho Cops and Rodders

Bringing together enthusiasts and police to hammer home the importance of road safety, the second annual ‘Sutho Cops & Rodders Road Safety & Car Show’ conducted at the Boys’ Town Playing Fields in Engadine was a great success for all involved.

“The NSW Police have taken a new stance on community engagement and part of my role is to engage the community,” says Senior Constable Dave Hayes of the Sutherland LAC, the officer responsible for organising this event. “I was asked by one of the bosses to come up with a theme for an annual event. There’s nothing really targeting road safety outside of school so I decided to take on a road safety initiative, and this is what I came up with.”

“In the first year we had about 10,000 people attend and 146 cars displayed,” he continues. “It was well regarded in the community.”

“This year we had 25,000 people, 490 cars and a lot more exposure including live national TV and media coverage. It’s a major turnaround for the event’s second year.”

The event brings together members from relevant services that attend, rehabilitate and assist in road trauma from the initial scene through to the final stages of the patients trauma along with influential members of the motoring community who relayed important messages about road safety.

“Unfortunately a lot of people think they’re invincible,” Dave tells us. “The purpose of this event is to reiterate to not only young inexperienced drivers, but current license holders as well, just how dangerous driving can be. Vehicles can be used as a weapon and the streets are more populated than ever these days, with both bike riders and vehicles.”

“Our goal ultimately is to reduce road trauma and help promote safer driving. We wanted to display the affects of road trauma on family, friends and the community. It’s a major impact on all parties.”

“The response has been outstanding. I’ve received a whole heap of emails, phone calls, texts and letters sent to the station of appreciation. The event even was mentioned in parliament by Duncan Gay, the New South Wales Minister for Roads and Ports who attended and had an absolutely outstanding time.”

“It was fantastic to have guest speakers like Mark Winterbottom, Andrew Fisher, Ian Luff and Ron Delezio, father of road victim Sophie Delezio, telling the audience of their experience with road safety and circumstances surrounding their day to day life.”

The event is heavily family oriented, with children kept entertained with numerous rides and attractions such as musical performances by Helen Barron and the AC/DC cover band Dirty Deeds. Such a fun and energetic atmosphere help keep the focus on awareness and education around a topic that can easily become heavy and depressing.

Road safety wasn’t the only message being relayed on the day, with police out there having fun, appreciating tastefully modified cars and showing that they’re just people too.

“There are police who have modified cars,” Dave says, “it’s not illegal to have one. It is illegal to modify them outside of specs and that’s what this event is all about; appreciating cars for their legality. Police are no different; we appreciate these cars as much as you do. We’re only human.”

The event certainly drew out some eye candy for both police and patrons alike, collecting a number of car clubs and a heap of sweet rides.

With such a drastic increase in numbers from last year, we can’t wait for the next ‘Cops and Rodders’ event which Dave assures us will get bigger and better yet again!