Road safety week focus for children

A national campaign to promote safer driving is teaching children as young as 6 how to keep safe on New Zealand roads.

Road Safety Week 2023, co-ordinated by Brake and sponsored by Beca and Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency, aims to teach children general road safety awareness by celebrating heroes in the community who work to keep our roads safe.

Pupils from Fairfield Primary School were yesterday treated to an attenuator truck and colourful safety equipment display, supplied by Fulton Hogan.

Seventy year 2 pupils took part in a range of fun games and activities, such as pretending to be cars and guiding their classmates through traffic signs.

Beca civil design associate Quintin Dettling said it was very important to teach children about road safety.

"You can’t start too young with road safety and awareness," he said.

"The sooner these kids appreciate and understand where they can act safely around roads and road sites and road works, it will just help them as they develop."

Fairfield junior team leader Megan Pelvin was pleased the school was involved in the campaign.

"A lot of our children are crossing our road and because we have Fulton Hogan close to us, we do have a lot of vehicles going along here," she said.

Fulton Hogan traffic management supervisor Tori Peterson guides Fairfield Primary School pupils...
Fulton Hogan traffic management supervisor Tori Peterson guides Fairfield Primary School pupils at a go sign. Beca and Fulton Hogan visited the school as part of Road Safety Week 2023 co-ordinated by Brake. PHOTO: GERARD O’BRIEN
"As teachers it is our role for these children to know how to cross a road safely."

She said it was important children knew about the dangers on roads so they could be safe in environments outside school.

tim.scott@odt.co.nz

 

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