News

Back to school road safety

Porirua tamariki are heading back to school and there’s some things everyone can do to help keep them safe.

People driving to and near schools should:

• watch out for children walking, scooting, or cycling
• be alert for children and be prepared to stop
• be ready to stop at student-controlled school crossings.

If you’re a parent, caregiver, or whānau member, you can join your child on the walk, scoot, or cycle to work to teach them:

• where to cross the road and how to cross safely
• any tricky driveways they should be careful of
• to cross with their school patrol if they have one.

If you’re driving your child to or from school:

• get them to exit and enter the car from the footpath side of the road.
• stop and park legally and away from the school gate. No stopping or parking on broken yellow lines
• children under seven years-old must be in an appropriate car seat that’s fitted correctly
• use a child restraint (or booster seat) until children are 148 cm tall.

Remember, the speed limit is 20km/h when driving past a stationary school bus, and you need to slow to 30km/h when passing schools.

A reminder, too, that there are two car seat safety checks to take place this year: 7 November (outside Porirua Park, Mungavin Ave) and 5 December (next to Onepoto Park, Titahi Bay).

10 Oct 2024