Slow Down, Kids Around these School Holidays
Published on 09 December 2020
Little Blue Dinosaur Foundation and Shoalhaven City Council will join forces again in 2020 to raise awareness to reduce child pedestrian injuries and fatalities across the City.
Motorists will again notice the “Holiday Time; Slow Down, Kids Around” signage erected around the City at beaches, parks and other busy recreational locations, urging people to slow down and take extra care on our roads during the holiday period.
Shoalhaven City Council Mayor, Amanda Findley said school holiday periods created a surge in the number of children using local roads and paths.
“Holiday Time; Slow Down, Kids Around is a highly visible and timely reminder about the importance of road safety, for both residents and visitors to be more aware of the increase in pedestrian activity in our area.
“With more kids around it’s really important for all motorists to stay aware and vigilant on the road. Kids can react impulsively and forget about road safety.
“That is why the Holiday Time campaign is so important. It puts the onus on drivers, parents and carers to recognise the potential danger in busy holiday spots and take extra precautions to ensure our kids are kept safe”, Mayor Findley said.
Michelle and David McLaughlin, who founded Little Blue Dinosaur in honour of their son Tom, now channel their energy into making school holidays safer for children.
“Tragically, BITRE data reveals that since January 2014 till August 2020, 391 children, including Tom McLaughlin, have lost their lives to road trauma. Further, The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare indicates that the most common cause of death of children aged 1-14 years is road trauma.” Michelle stated.
“Holiday destinations will be even busier this year due to COVID-19 travel restrictions. For children and their families, these new environments are most often new and unfamiliar with key visual roadway differences, including lack of kerbs/guttering, no line markings or footpaths,” Michelle said.
"We lost our precious son, Tom in the blink of an eye. We don’t want this to happen to anyone else. The cost is just too high. That’s why the 'Holiday Time, Slow Down Kids Around' message is so important," Michelle said.
Michelle said Little Blue Dinosaur was excited to be working with Shoalhaven City Council again in 2020. The campaign is now supported by 65 councils across four States in Australia.
Little Blue Dinosaur is also pleased to announce that Michelle has written a beautiful book around Child Pedestrian Road Safety called ‘Tom’s Holiday’. The colourful book has been especially written and designed for both children, parents and their carers to provide detailed lifesaving road safety tips and education particularly around busy holiday periods.
The Vincentia Ratepayers and Residents (VRAR- CCB) have kindly donated five copies of Tom’s Holiday book to local Vincentia childcare centres and the Shoalhaven Library.
For more information about the Hold My Hand Campaign or “Tom’s Holiday,” please visit the Little Blue Dinosaur Foundation.
For further information:
Jeff Kaplan - Media and Communications - Little Blue Dinosaur Foundation
amanda@littlebluedinosaur.org
Image: From left to right are: Back row (standing): Thomas Pryor, Tahlia Buckley and Brody Rawlins. Front Row: Will Buckley, Jake Rawlins, Taj Buckley.