A child was very nearly hit by a car on their way to school recently - literally missed by a whisker!

A local resident has been in touch as they were very distressed following an incident recently when a boy on a scooter (thankfully, he was wearing a helmet) scootered out in front of her car without looking at all, and without slowing down.  The incident took place on  Pegasus Boulevard Boulevard, between school and the shops. She had to slam the breaks on and he froze - and then scootered off.   

Incidents like the one above are becoming more and more frequent, and we'd hate for there to be a more serious outcome.  

Please, please can you talk to your children about road safety traveling to and from school - particularly:

The pedestrian crossing outside of school is the only place where cars don’t have right of way. 

According to the New Zealand Road Code, cyclists are only allowed on footpaths if they're delivering newspapers, mail or leaflets. Bikes should not be on the footpath, they should be on the road and a helmet needs to be worn – it’s the law. Road rules apply!

Scooters and skateboards can go on the footpath, helmets are not compulsory but we strongly recommend them.  

If your child not road safety savvy, please accompany them on their journey to school.  

If you really have to drive your car near school, please don’t stop your car part-way around the round-a-bout to allow people to cross – this is dangerous for cars traveling behind you and can give children false confidence that all cars will stop and allow them to cross.

Thank you.