M.O.T. campaigns to get children safely back to school

Press, 15 January 1988, Page 2

M.O.T. campaigns to get children safely back to school

Children who received new bicycles for Christmas should be asking Santa Claus to return with the safety helmet he forgot to include in their stocking, according to a road traffic instructor, Rae Mills. The importance of cyclists wearing helmets to help prevent head injuries is one of the issues being promoted in a national Ministry of Transport campaign aimed at getting children back to school safely. The campaign has been run annually for about six years, and is aimed at the parents of small children, and those whose children are changing schools. Mr Mills, who is based in Christchurch, said he had learnt, through bicycle manufacturers

and stockists, that many cycles had been sold this Christmas. “Most of the kids who die as a result of cycle accidents die from head injuries. The helmets are specific to Christchurch — because this is a cycling city in New Zealand, we have made a special promotion oi inetn here.”

In one Christchurch area being monitored by the Ministry during November, it was found that 18 per cent of cyclists were wearing helmets.

Mr Mills said that, after the promotions, he expected that the figure would be up to 20 per cent when the next survey was taken.

“It seems to me that a caring parent would get

their child a helmet,” he said. Another area of concern which the traffic inspectors will be watching carefully when children go back to school is the school patrols, especially the one which crosses State highway 1 in Belfast. “The traffic is thick and the kids have to wait for a gap in traffic to put signs out, and then they have to wait for the drivers to s stop,” said Mr Mills. “About 90-odd kids cross the road at Belfast each day in the face of about 700 traffic movements.” Drivers are asked to be especially careful during February, as the pupils trained to operate the patrols will hold practice sessions at various times during the day.