Northland School Board of Trustees

Road Safety Policy
 

Rationale:

Road safety is an important aspect of a child’s education and is a shared responsibility between the school and the parents. As well as ensuring the safe travel of children between home and school an awareness of road safety is a vital part of each person’s well-being.

Purpose:

• To provide a road safety awareness programme at all levels throughout the school.
• To promote the use of safe walking routes to school as an alternative to transporting children by car.
• To ensure that the procedures are in place for the safe crossing of children using the Northland Road/Harbour View Road pedestrian crossing.
• To provide guidelines for the safe transportation of Northland School students.
• To include Police Education officers when available in the school’s road safety programme.

Guidelines:

• Ongoing Road Safety awareness integrated as part of the classroom programme.
• Emphasise safe road crossing procedures including use of pedestrian crossing and safe walkways.
• Provide school patrols to assist in the safe use of the pedestrian crossing outside the school. The road crossing will be supervised by parents. All school patrols to be trained by the Police Education officer.
• Remind parents about safety procedures when picking up or dropping off children at school.
• After school care group to use the pedestrian crossing outside the school.
• Encourage children to walk to school in groups and to use safe walking routes.
• Children cycling to school must be at least 10 years of age unless accompanied by an adult. All cyclists must wear helmets and must complete the school’s bike contract.
• Children riding scooters or skateboards to school must complete the school’s scooter/skateboard contract. Children using scooters/skateboards will be encouraged to wear helmets.
• Parents transporting children to extra-curricular and sporting activities must ensure each passenger uses a seatbelt. The car must have current registration and a current WOF. Children under 10 must not use front seats that are fitted with airbags. Parents will be reminded of these requirements each year in the school newsletter and when help is sought with transportation.

Approved: 26 July 2010

Review Date: 2013