Share the road

How to run campaigns related to speed, driveway safety, giving way and cycle courtesy.

Driveways (target - drivers)

Introduction

Driveway accidents cause huge distress to families. Driveway accidents typically involve a toddler being hit by a reversing vehicle, commonly driven by a family member or close friend. Campaigns in this area need to focus on encouraging families to make sure that small children are not on driveways where vehicles may be reversing. Drivers need to be encouraged to make sure all toddlers are safe before they start backing. Raising awareness of the difficulties that drivers have seeing small children behind the car when backing is another focus area. There are also infrastructure and planning issues related to the design of driveways minimising the need for reversing.

The presence of cyclists on the footpath is also another driveway related issue for drivers to be aware of. Cyclists travel faster than pedestrians and because of this, reversing drivers may not see them. Cycling on footpaths (unless they are designated shared footpaths) is not legal in New Zealand for this reason, but the issue is still one to be aware of.

Community action

If information is presented by members of the target group, it may have more impact than if it is presented by staff of organisations. One-on-one conversations with members of the target group allows questions to be answered and sympathy for issues to be expressed. The following are some ideas for community action.

• Presentation by Plunket to parents.
• Mention of the issue during a sermon at a church service.
• Information at school or pre-school parent teacher days.
• Information in classroom lessons so children will take it home.
• Approaches to parents as they drop children at pre-school or language nest.
• Pre-schools demonstrating the reversing display, then having children make a book of illustrations about it and taking copies home.

Community groups to involve in planning

Community groups involved in planning need to be comprise the target group or have some connection to them. Suggestions are:

• Plunket
• health carers
• school health nurses
• ethnic groups
• neighbourhood watch groups
• church groups.

Messages to communicate

Some of the following actions could be called for.

• The footpath is not for cars – be alert.
• Drive out forwards from your driveway if you can.
• Reverse slowly and safely.
• Double check for children and cyclists.
• Keep kids away from driveways.
• Can you see the children? Check before you back your car.

Media to use

The media used should be appropriate for the target group. Some ideas are:

• radio stations popular with the target group
• leaflets or cards distributed to school students to take home
• information leaflets created as reminder notices to hang on doors
• letter box drops in relevant areas
• posters at churches, schools, Plunket rooms, doctors’ surgeries, health clinics
• a display showing how difficult it is to see a child when reversing will help raise awareness.

Emotional slant

The idea of children being injured engages the emotions of almost any target audience.

• The consequences of running over a child and the impact on the family.
• Personalised questions asking ‘How safe is your child?’ engenders feelings of guilt in parents.

Enforcement

There is little opportunity for enforcement in association with this issue. It could be linked with enforcement of related issues, such as child restraint enforcement or pedestrian safety outside schools and parking issues.

Events

• Health days.
• School events.
• Cultural festivals.

Related resources

(The following numbers relate to the numbers in the list of existing resources in the companion document.)

10. Driveway resource – Waitakere
11. Reversing display – Christchurch

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Last updated: 22 February 2007