Keeping our kids safe on the roads this holidays
Each year we partner with the Little Blue Dinosaur Foundation for their “Holiday Time” campaign, promoting child pedestrian safety, with a focus on the school holiday period.
This year we have offered a FREE Holiday Time Safety Education Session for your school. You can now submit an expression of interest for a session in 2025. To find out more visit our Schools program page.
Grab your FREE copy of 'Tom's Holiday'
We’re providing free copies of this picture book from the Little Blue Dinosaur Foundation to help your children and students learn how to be safe on the roads this holiday time.
Offer available to registered Preschools and Primary Schools in the Port Macquarie-Hastings region caring for 10 or more children.
More about Little Blue Dinosaur Foundation
The ‘Holiday Time’ road safety program aims to reduce child pedestrian injuries and fatalities, with road trauma still the most common cause of death for Australian children (Australian Institute of Health and Welfare). The program reminds children and their carers to hold hands near roads and around our busy areas, and reminds drivers to take care and be alert for kids – when driving during busy holiday periods.
During the holiday period we place signage at popular holiday locations and areas with increased child pedestrian activity such as parks, beaches and shopping centres. The sign’s messages remind parents and children to hold hands near roads and for drivers to slow down and be aware of children in the area. These locations present an increased risk as children can be prone to excitement and unpredictability in a millisecond, especially when about to engage in fun recreational activities with family and friends.
Why are children at an increased risk?
Roads are complex and ever-changing environments making them difficult places for children to navigate safely. Children under 10 are at an increased risk of injury near roads, driveways and car parks due to cognitive, physical and perceptual limitations. These limitations include:
Children also rely heavily on visual cues to determine the road edge. In urban areas there is usually a clearly defined road edge such as a curb or gutter along with signs or railings. In a lot of popular holiday locations such as beaches and parks, the road edge is less clearly defined and grass or sand may join directly with the road. In these environments it is increasingly difficult for a child to determine where the median strip ends and the road begins.
For parents and carers, it is important to hold the hand of children when near roads, driveways and parking lots and to have conversations with children about how to behave near roadways. For drivers it is important to slow down and be vigilant of children at all times, but especially during holiday periods and when driving near popular holiday hot spots as children can react impulsively and are still learning to anticipate driver behaviour and identify safe crossing locations.
Information sourced from the Little Blue Dinosaur Foundation and “Tom’s Holiday” book by Michelle McLaughlin.
