Otago AA launched its initiative to distribute about 700 bike lights to schoolchildren in the South at Big Rock School in Brighton yesterday.
Along with the lights, pupils received charging cables, bungees to strap the lights on and a neon green bag cover from the Dunedin City Council.
Otago AA chairman Malcolm Budd said its focus had shifted from just motor cars to mobility.
The Otago, North Otago, Southern Lakes and Central district secured some sponsorship and were distributing more than 700 sets of lights to distribute to school children.
"We’re all about safety in the AA and to get these kids to and from school safely is the objective."
The AA was going to Elmgrove School, in Mosgiel, and King’s High School next and was hoping to cover all Dunedin schools before moving on to the wider public who cycled to and from work.
"Giving the kids an opportunity to go outside and ride doesn’t cost us anything as a school other then some parent time to come and help."
For the school the biking programme was about mental health.
"I guess it’s about building some resilience and biking provides that — that you don’t get it right all the time and sometimes you fall off; sometimes you get asked to do a skill and you don’t always get it right but through building that up we can grow with those other aspects: self-confidence, self-worth and self-esteem and respecting ourselves."
About 40 of about the school’s 100 pupils were in the biking programme.
Mr Weatherall said the initiative from AA complemented the school’s programme really well.
The school’s biking programme would be going to Naseby in a couple of weeks and the lights would be "wicked"for some night rides.
