"Every year children are injured because they've seen their ride home on the other side of the road and they've run out to meet mum or dad without looking," AA spokesman Mike Noon said.
Mr Noon said people who parked on the opposite side of the road from a school created a "road safety trap".
He urged parents and caregivers to park in a safe place and wait at the school gates for their children.
Five-year-olds were starting school for the first time and were especially at risk, he said.
"New entrants have very few road safety skills and with starting school they also have less one-on-one supervision than they've possibly ever had before," he said.
Older children were usually more safety-conscious but could be distracted by chatting to friends, listening to music or texting, he said.
Drivers should also be extra careful near school buses in case a child ran out from in front of or behind a bus, he said.
Police also warned motorists and pedestrians also needed to take care near schools during the first school week.
Wellington road policing manager Inspector Peter Baird urged parents to talk to their children about road safety.
"There'll be plenty of children who received new bikes and scooters at Christmas. If they're riding these to school this year, we want parents to ensure their children are wearing helmets and know the basics of road safety before heading to school."
Parents should also consider backpacks and jackets with reflectors as they were a really good way to help motorists see children, Mr Baird said.
In 2008 there were 156 5- to 12-year-olds injured, rising to 166 in 2009 and 169 in 2010.
Since 2006, when the New Zealand Police Speed Kills Kids campaign started, police had collected $45 million from motorists speeding in school zones.
