Car safety tips

Always be alert when children are near cars, including on the school run. Here’s how to keep them safe.

Pick up and drop off at school

Drive slowly outside schools and be prepared for surprises. Avoid distractions.

Look out for speed limit signs and obey them. These could be static signs or electronic signs.

Take extra care on wet days. Your car takes longer to stop and it’s harder to see children in the rain.

Park a short distance away and walk to school with your child. This increases safety around the school gates. In the afternoon, meet up with your child and walk to your car.

• Park safely – away from yellow lines, pedestrian crossings, intersections and driveways.
• Never double park.
• Make sure your kids get in and out on the footpath side of the car.
• Park on the same side of the road as your destination to avoid crossing.

Never call to a child from the other side of the road. They may run across to you suddenly without checking for traffic.

Safety inside the car

Ensure everyone makes their seatbelt click before you start the car – no matter how short a trip.

Help your child to:

• use the door handle to close the door gently but firmly
• not distract the driver
• keep their hands and legs inside the car
• check with the driver before opening the windows
• wait for the car to stop before taking off their child restraint or seatbelt
• look out for people walking and riding bikes, before they open the door.

You must follow the law on the correct use of child restraints.

• Child restraints