Back to School Safety Tips

As thousands of students march back to school within the next few weeks, Safekids Aotearoa shares valuable safety messages, whether they are riding the car, cycling, scootering or walking to school. Safekids also asks drivers to be extra vigilant in watching out for children on the road.
For students:

• They’re safer in a booster seat till they’re 148cm. Primary school children seated in booster seats in the back seat of the car are 59% less likely to be injured in a crash than children using a seat belt alone.

• No helmet, no brain. Wearing safety helmets when cycling or scootering or skateboarding to school is a must. For cyclists, wearing helmets reduces the likelihood of severe brain injury by 74%.

• Devices down, heads up when crossing the road. Tell children to remove their earphones when crossing the road, and to stop walking if they need to make a phone call or send a text message.

• Watch out for sneaky driveways. If you can’t see the driveway from the footpath, remember to stop, look and listen as if you are crossing the road to make sure there are no cars exiting the driveway.

For drivers

• Double check those intersections and crossings. A student might dart across the street when you least anticipate it. They’re also pretty hard to see in between parked cars. Making full stops at intersections and slowing down in high pedestrian traffic areas will give you the time you need to be completely sure the road is clear of children.

• Slow down at school zones at all times. School zones have signs that require you to obey a lower speed limit. Some school signs are turned on before and after school and other times such as lunch time. Safekids Aotearoa however encourages drivers to slow down at school zones at all times and even on weekends. An evening event or a weekend game might be happening, so you still need to watch out for kids.

• Passing school buses: Either way it’s 20kph. If a school bus has stopped the law requires you to slow down and drive at 20km/h or less until you are well past--no matter which direction you are driving from.

ENDS

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