RACT staff are visiting schools and early learning centres across Tasmania this week to teach young children road safety lessons through storytelling as part of Book Week, which runs from August 22 to 28.
The motoring club’s community education program uses a book called Yippee to introduce children aged up to six to safe habits as pedestrians and passengers.
RACT Community Coordinator Hayley Brown said helping children develop positive road safety habits from an early age was key to creating safer roads for everyone.
“Children are constantly learning how to navigate the world around them and roads are a big part of that,” she said.
“Book Week gives us a great opportunity to make road safety fun and engaging, while helping children understand simple behaviours that can help keep them safe.”
The book was created with South Australian sister club Royal Automobile Association (RAA) and uses colourful illustrations and simple rhymes to introduce safe road behaviours.
Yippee is part of RACT’s broader community education program, which supports road safety education across the state through engagement with early learning centres, schools and the wider community.
Brown said parents, carers and educators also had an important role to play in helping children develop safe habits on the road.
“Yippee is designed for younger children, but it’s also a great tool for parents, carers and educators to use to start conversations about road safety,” she said.
“Children learn so much by watching the adults around them, so one of the best things we can do is model safe behaviours every day.”
RACT recommends parents talk about road safety whenever they are near a road with their children, hold hands with young children when crossing, make sure children are properly restrained every time they travel in a car and model safe road behaviours.
Schools and early learning centres interested in the program can register through the RACT website at www.ract.com.au.
