Media statement | 22 May 2007

Papamoa school children save the world - and win top road safety prize

A school travel programme inspiring students to help 'save the world' by walking, cycling or taking the bus to school has won top prize in the education category of this year's New Zealand Road Safety Innovation and Achievement Awards.

Aimed at getting children to school safely without using cars, Papamoa School’s i Save the World programme is a road safety initiative with a healthy dose of sustainability, fun and learning built in.

Papamoa students travel to and from school by ‘World Saving Actions’ (walking, biking or bus), and use world travel as a theme. Every week they ‘travel’ to a new country, plotting their progress with passports, interactive maps, flags, stickers and badges. Passports are stamped after each trip, and children receive a badge from that week’s featured country when they have collected enough stamps. Year six students serve as ‘World Marshals’ looking after the safety of younger students.

Papamoa School has seen a 60 percent growth in student numbers over three years, with the size of the school’s car park cut in half over the same period.

Since the i Save the World programme was introduced, the number of children travelling to school by car has decreased by 37 percent, while the number taking the bus has gone up 55 percent, cycling has increased by 45 percent, and the number walking to school has jumped nearly 200 percent.

Road Safety Innovation and Achievement Awards judging panel member Michael Gross said Papamoa School should be congratulated for creating a safer way for children to get to and from school while at the same time doing positive things for the planet.

For more information
Andy Knackstedt
Media Manager
Land Transport New Zealand
Ph: 04 931 8829 or 0212 763 222

Background information on the awards

The Road Safety Innovation and Achievement Awards programme is funded by the Road Safety Trust and administered by Land Transport New Zealand. The awards organising committee includes representatives from the New Zealand Automobile Association, the AA Driver Education Foundation, New Zealand Police, ACC and Land Transport New Zealand.

The aim of the awards is to recognise excellence and encourage innovation in road safety.

There are six categories, plus the Premier award:

• Road Safety Education Award
• Road Safety Community Award
• Road Safety in Organisations Award
• Road Safety Vehicle-based Award
• Road Safety Road Engineering Award
• Road Safety General Award

All entries in the were evaluated by a three member expert judging panel comprised of Michael Gross, Dr Carolyn Cogan, Director of the Safe Communities Foundation of New Zealand, and Suzanne Sinclair, chair of the Road Safety Trust.