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.
\nMore 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.
\nThe 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.
\nTAC 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.
\nIn the 10 years to June 30, 2015, a further 969 pedestrians and 299 cyclists aged under 17 were hospitalised following road accidents.
\nMinister 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.
\n\u201cAny life lost or serious injury on the roads is a tragedy but when young lives are lost it is especially devastating,\u201d Mr Donnellan said.
\n\u201cThat’s the Sound the Street Makes can play an important role in opening children\u2019s eyes to the dangers of the road and give them the skills to keep them safe.\u201d
\nMr 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.
\n\u201cRegardless 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.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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 […]<\/p>\n