School Road Safety Youth Education Programme
The School Road Safety Education programme is based on the Road Safe Series, which provides young people with appropriate road safety skills and practices at all levels of their schooling.
This series includes the following programmes:
- Stepping Out - Years 0-3
- Riding By - Years 4-6
- Tracks are for Trains - Years 4-8
- Out and About - Years 7-8
- Changing Gear - Years 9-10
- A Msg in Contxt - Years 9-13
- Drive to Survive - Years 11-13
- Drive Qual - Years 11-13
- School Traffic Safety Teams
The New Zealand Police also train the School Traffic Safety Teams, which are students who operate School Patrols, Kea Crossings, Bus Wardens and Traffic Wardens in New Zealand schools.
Stepping out
Who is Stepping Out for?
This programme is designed for children from New Entrants to Year 3 (ages 5-7). The material is divided into two teaching guides, one for Years 0-1 and the other for Years 2-3.
What is the aim of the programme?
Stepping Out is aimed to encourage and assist children to behave in safe ways as pedestrians and passengers in a traffic environment.
Why is the programme needed?
Road crashes are a leading cause of death and injury to children between the ages of 0-14 years.
- In 2007, 27 children aged 0-14 years were killed on the road. Of these 15 were passengers, seven were pedestrians, two were cyclists, two were drivers, and one was a motorcycle pillion passenger.
- In 2007, 1005 children aged 0-14 year were injured on the road. Of these 18 were drivers, 586 were passengers, 201 were pedestrians, 167 were cyclists, 13 were motorcycle drivers, 14 were motorcycle pillion passengers and six were "other" road users.
Children need assistance to keep safe on or near the road. At ages 5-7 they do not have the maturity or experience to judge such things as the speed at which a car is travelling.
As they begin school, there will be more occassions when they are on the road, whether as pedestrians, or passengers in cars, school buses or public transport. Stepping Out aims to build children's skills to help them keep themselves safe.
Police recommend, however, that children aged 5-6 do not cross the road on their own and where possible walk to school with someone older.
What are the objectives?
As they work through the programme, children will:
- identify types of traffic and parts of the road
- be able to cross the road safely with an older person
- identify road dangers, and decide how to handle these
- make their seatbelt 'click' and behave sensibly in vehicles
- identify people who can help them to be safe on or near the road
- follow instructions of the School Traffic Safety Teams.
What is covered in the programme?
Students are involved in a range of interactive activities that cover topics such as:
- giving name, address and telephone number
- traffic
- parts of the road
- kerb drill
- School Traffic Safety Teams
- travelling by car
- travelling by bus
- traffic dangers
- people who help.
Who teaches the programme?
Stepping Out is designed to be taught by a classroom teacher working in partnership with a trained Police Education Officer. Each partner brings their own knowledge and expertise.
The Police Education Officer is a respected member of the community, with experience in teaching road safety. The teacher knows the children and their families, and will be able to reinforce learning in an ongoing way.
Where can Stepping Out fit within the school curriculum?
Stepping Out fits within the Health, Physical Well-being and Social Studies learning areas. It has, however, been written for use across curriculum areas, with activities in art, language, music and maths.
How are parents and the community involved?
Students will benefit when their road safety education is reinforced at home and when their parents provide positive role models. A letter is provided for parents and there are ample opportunities throughout the programme for parents to participate. Teachers are encouraged to involve community people in lessons.
How does the school get the programme?
Schools should contact their local Police Education Officer through their nearest Police Station. The officer will make the teaching materials available to the school free of charge. Alternatively you can download the teaching materials from our resources section.
Riding By
The Riding By programme is for students in years 4-6.
Riding By aims to encourage children to develop knowledge, skills and positive attitudes to keep them safe on or near the road. It covers topics such as safe walking, coping with traffic hazards and an introduction to cycling safety.
Why is the programme needed?
Road crashes are a leading cause of death and injury to children between the ages of 0-14 years.
- In 2007, 27 children aged 0-14 years were killed on the road. Of these 15 were passengers, seven were pedestrians, two were cyclists, two were drivers, and one was a motorcycle pillion passenger.
- In 2007, 1005 children aged 0-14 years were injured on the road. Of these 18 were drivers, 586 were passengers, 201 were pedestrians, 167 were cyclists, 13 were motorcycle drivers, 14 were motorcycle pillion passengers and six were "other" road users.
Children aged 8-10 need assistance to keep safe on or near the road as passengers, pedestrians, cyclists, or when they are involved in leisure activities. At this age they are becoming more mobile and more independent, and so are more at risk.
Riding By aims to help children develop their safety skills.
The New Zealand Police and Land Transport NZ recommend that children under 10 years old only ride on the road when accompanied by a competent adult rider. This age is only a recommendation and will depend on the individual circumstances relating to the skill of the rider, their road rule knowledge and the traffic environment.
What are the objectives?
As they work through the programme, children will:
- demonstrate safe pedestrian and passenger behaviour and encourage others to do the same
- demonstrate safe cycling practices when learning to ride bicycles in a controlled situation
- identify potential hazards when walking or cycling in their local area and use appropriate strategies to keep themselves safe
- describe safe ways to carry out leisure activities such as horse riding and roller blading, when on or near the roads.
How is the programme organised?
The programme is organised into three stand-alone modules:
- Passenger and pedestrian
Focus question: What can I do to help keep me, and others, safe when walking or riding in cars and buses? - On two wheels
Focus question: What do I need to know and do to make sure I learn to be a safe cyclist? - Safe Fun
Focus question: Why don't roads and leisure activities mix?
These modules can be taken at different times of the year.
Who teaches the programme?
Riding By is designed to be taught by a classroom teacher in partnership with a trained Police Education Officer. Each partner brings their own knowledge and expertise to the programme. The Police Education Officer is a respected member of the community, experienced at teaching school road safety education. The teacher knows the children and their families and will be able to reinforce learning in an ongoing way.
Where can Riding By fit within the school curriculum?
Riding By fits within the following learning areas of the New Zealand Curriculum:
- Health and Physical Education
- Technology
- Social Studies.
It has, however, been written for use across curriculum areas, with activities for art, music, language and maths.
How are parents and the community involved?
Children will benefit when their road safety education is reinforced at home and when their parents and caregivers provide positive role models. A letter is provided for parents and there are ample opportunities throughout the programme for parents to participate. Teachers are also encouraged to involve community people in lessons.
How does the school get the programme?
Schools should contact their local Police Education Officer through their nearest Police Station. The officer will make teaching materials available to schools free of charge. Alternatively you can download the teaching materials from our resources section.
Tracks are for Trains
Tracks are for Trains was launched in August 2005. It was designed to reduce the number of unintentional injuries around railway lines.
The aim of the programme is to teach children about safe behaviour on or near trains or railway tracks, and to improve their attitudes towards personal safety.
The programme has been well received by schools. Feedback from teachers:
- A super resource which is easy to follow, and use to inform children. Great follow-up activities. It suited children interested in trains and ensured others were thinking about what can happen if not using common sense around tracks and trains.
- As I was teaching new entrants/Year 1 children, the lessons were pitched at a basic safety level. The children enjoyed learning about tracks and trains, especially as it was hands on.
- Constable Stace delivered the programme at the correct level for our children and fully engaged them in the learning process. His resources and pitch were exactly right for the children.
Out and About
This programme is for students in Years 7 - 8.
What is the aim of the programme?
Out and About enables young people to participate safely as road users, aware of their own place in the traffic environment, as well as that of others. It covers topics such as safety in traffic, being a responsible road user, cycle safety, and planning and costing trips.
Resources available
The programme resources include:
- Teaching guide
- Photopack,
- Video
- Out and About Game
What are the objectives?
As they work through the programme, children will:
- identify safe and unsafe practices of pedestrians, passengers and cyclists
- demonstrate knowledge of traffic law relevant to them, and to other road users they may encounter
- develop skills to identify and respond to traffic hazards
- understand the importance of being good role models to others
- describe safe ways to carry out leisure activities that take place on roadways
- identify their own risk-taking behaviour and the consequences of this
- take an active role in assessing and promoting change in local roading systems
- provide help to other road users in need of assistance
- confidently and safely move further from their local area by themselves
- demonstrate safe cycling practices.
What is covered in the programme?
The Out and About programme covers:
- safe and unsafe road user practices
- handling risks
- role modelling
- hazards
- traffic laws
- cycling skills
- leisure activities
- planning trips.
Who teaches the programme?
Out and About is designed to be taught by a classroom teacher in partnership with a trained Police Education Officer. Each partner brings their own knowledge and expertise. The Police Education Officer is a respected member of the community, experienced at teaching school road safety education. The teacher knows the children and their families and will be able to reinforce learning in an ongoing way.
Where can Out and About fit within the school curriculum?
Out and About fits within the following learning areas of the New Zealand Curriculum:
- Health and Physical Education
- Technology
- Social Studies
It has, however, been written for use across the curriculum areas with activities for art, music, languages and maths.
How are parents and the community involved?
Children will benefit most if their road safety education is reinforced at home and if their parents and caregivers provide positive role models. A letter is provided for parents and there are ample opportunities throughout the programme for parents to participate. Teachers are also encouraged to involve community people in lessons.
How does a school get the programme?
Schools should contact their local Police Education Officer through their nearest Police Station. The officer will make teaching materials available to schools free of charge. Alternatively you can download the teaching materials from our resources section.
Changing Gear
The Changing Gear programme is for students in Years 9 - 10.
What is the aim of the programme?
Changing Gear aims to empower young people to participate safely as responsible road users, aware of their own place in traffic, as well as that of others.
Where does Changing Gear fit within the New Zealand Curriculum?
This programme has been designed to fit into a number of learning areas of the New Zealand Curriculum including:
- Social Studies
- Health and Physical Education
- Science
- Maths
- English
- Technology
It is intended that students will have road safety education reinforced in a range of subjects over a period of time.
International research shows that there is a need for ongoing reinforcement. The programme for each subject includes a teaching guide and accompanying resources.
A msg in contxt
The resource, "A msg in contxt", was launched at Parliament on the 15th October 2008.
A msg in contxt is an educational resource aimed at raising students' awareness of the risk factors and conditions that contribute to road crashes, with a particular focus on strategies to avoid texting and driving.
A msg in contxt focuses on a fatal crash in January 2007 that claimed the lives of teenage sisters, Lucy and Isabelle. The probable catalyst for the crash was texting whilst driving.
A msg in contxt is designed to be taught by Police Education Officers, Community Constables and other police staff in partnership with teachers in secondary schools. It can also be used with community groups.
For further information on A msg in contxt, please contact us.
Drive to Survive
This programme is for students in Years 11 - 13.
What is the aim of this programme?
Drive to Survive aims to help young people make informed and responsible decisions about alternatives to driving after drinking alcohol, thus reducing death and injury by car crashes.
What does the programme cover?
Topics covered include:
- attitudes to and reasons for drink-driving
- the consequences
- what the law says
- strategies for handling peer pressure
- planning ahead to avoid drink-drive situations.
Drive Qual
Drive Qual is for students in Years 11 - 13.
Drive Qual is a series of modules designed to build the knowledge and positive attitudes that young drivers need to keep themselves and others safe while driving on the road.
This type of education is important as young drivers tend to be over represented in all types of crashes, especially those involving serious injury and minor injury.
The Drive Qual modules help students to gain driver unit standards.
School Traffic Safety Teams
School Traffic Safety Teams (STSTs) operate as four different systems.
School Patrols
School patrols provide pedestrian control at specified pedestrian crossings using signs to stop traffic while children cross the road. Children under adult supervision normally operate school patrols.
Kea Crossings (school crossing points)
These are designed to be used as sites that have only moderate traffic flows and where the predominant users of the crossing point are school children. They are not used outside of school opening and closing times. When both school patrol signs and kea flag signs are removed the road reverts to being uncontrolled, although kerb extensions can offer a greater degree of safety for those wishing to cross.
Traffic Wardens
Traffic wardens provide pedestrian control at specified crossing points, which can be pedestrian crossings, traffic light controlled crossings or completely unmarked crossing points. Traffic wardens have no control over vehicular traffic, other than by operating pedestrian traffic lights.
Bus Wardens
Bus wardens provide supervision of children travelling to and from school by either Ministry of Education contracted or school administered bus services. The bus wardens supervise the movement of children to and from the bus, and their behaviour on the bus. Bus wardens are usually selected from senior pupils who have the furtherest to travel.
A brief history of Road Safety Teams
In the late 1920s automobile clubs in the USA conceived the first school patrols when accidents involving children on the way to and from school were increasing to epidemic proportions. Wakari School in Dunedin had the first patrol in New Zealand when Mr Passmore of the Otago Motor Club (now the Otago AA) suggested an elementary type of patrol.
The first officially recognised patrols were at Linwood North School, Christchurch, and Invercargill Middle School in 1931. The first patrol in the North Island began at Papakura School, Auckland in October 1934.
These patrols, which had no control over traffic, were supplied with a red pendant, about 80cm long, mounted on a short staff. As the number of patrols grew, so did the need for a national legislation for patrols. Changes were made as the volume of traffic increased. In 1962 uniforms were standardised and warning devices for the patrols were updated. More regulations were created to cover parking so that patrols had good visibility on both sides of the crossing.
The number of pedestrians controlled by school patrols is quite amazing. There are around 700 school patrols operating nationally, providing a service to over 70,000 children daily. School patrols control around 28,000,000 pedestrian movements and 60,000,000 vehicle movements each year.
In 1931 a bold step was taken to introduce a school patrol system where pupils took responsibility for their own safety. Since that time the crossing and warden systems have set an extremely high safety standard. Today's heavy traffic and increased vehicle speeds impose new challenges on crossing systems.
