Preparing prep kids for road safety

The state government and the Transport Accident Commission have gifted every Victorian prep student a copy of a children’s book teaching them how to walk to and from school safely.
More than 78,000 copies of That’s the Sound the Street Makes by Victorian author Danny Katz were handed out in Victorian schools last term as part an initiative aimed at saving young lives.
The book is important reading for Victorian primary school children and their parents, with pedestrian injury being Australia’s leading cause of death for children aged five to nine, according to the World Health Organisation.
TAC figures show 17 pedestrians and five cyclists aged five to 15 lost their lives on Victorian roads in the 10 years to December 31, 2015.
In the 10 years to June 30, 2015, a further 969 pedestrians and 299 cyclists aged under 17 were hospitalised following road accidents.
Minister for Roads and Road Safety Luke Donnellan said the book also contained practical advice to help parents and other adults to turn a simple walk around the block into a potentially life-saving lesson in road safety.
“Any life lost or serious injury on the roads is a tragedy but when young lives are lost it is especially devastating,” Mr Donnellan said.
“That’s the Sound the Street Makes can play an important role in opening children’s eyes to the dangers of the road and give them the skills to keep them safe.”
Mr Donnellan encouraged parents to spend time reading the book with their kids and regularly take them on supervised walks to ensure the safety message is top of mind.
“Regardless of whether you have kids, we all share a responsibility to keep children safe on the roads and motorists need to slow down and be extra cautious when driving near schools and other places where children are likely to be.”