Child Safety Focuses on Bikes and Water

Keeping children safe while swimming or cycling is the focus of New Plymouth District Council’s efforts during KidSafe Week.


The council is working with New Plymouth Police to bring cycle-safety messages to school children. In addition, coalition members Todd Energy Aquatic Centre and the Taranaki District Health Board Health Promotion Unit are promoting water safety through initiatives including a colouring-in competition for children under 12 in New Plymouth.

NPDC recently approved its updated Cycling Strategy, which includes the goal of educating the public about the benefits of cycling and encouraging more people to give it a go.

“We thought this was a good fit with KidSafe Week and took the chance to work with the police on improving cycle safety among local students,” says Manager Community Development Bry Kopu.

Kidsafe Week runs from 12 to 19 October, but earlier this week police Youth Education Officer Anna Duncan spoke with about 30 year seven and eight students at St Joseph’s School in Waitara about safe cycling and the importance of helmet and cycle checks.

The students checked each other’s cycles and helmets, then tried out their cycling skills on the road.

Next week the police will take 10 students to the mountain bike trail in Lake Mangamahoe Forest while the rest will cycle on the Coastal Walkway and around Lake Rotomanu.

The excursion will give the students the chance to practise their skills in a different environment and help them realise they can have fun while still being safe.

NPDC has provided the school with funds to promote cycle safety, for the purchase of reflective wrist and ankle bands for the participants plus other cycle-safety items such as LED lights and reflectors for bikes.

The police will continue the cycle safety programme with other schools in the district over the coming months.

Meanwhile, a colouring-in competition, with the safety message, “Always watch us near water”, was distributed to children under 12 in New Plymouth, with one free pass to the aquatic centre for every child who takes part.

On Friday next week (19 October), four competition winners will be named with each of them receiving a prize.