Office of Hon Mark Gosche
Minister of Transport
Minister of Housing
Minister of Pacific Island Affairs
Member of Parliament for Maungakiekie

Media Release

Saturday 11 March 2000

11 March 2000

Life Saver – Saving our children's lives

"Every time we don't put our children in car seats – we are risking their lives," the Minister of Transport Mark Gosche said today.

He launched Plunket's Life Saver Car Seat campaign at the Pasifika Festival in Auckland this morning.

"The road toll may be going down but in 1998 more than 200 children under the age of five were killed or injured on New Zealand roads," said Mr Gosche.

"That's more than 200 reasons for us to buckle our kids in whenever we get in the car."

The Life Saver resource kits are free and written in Maori and Pacific languages. They are designed to assist health professionals when speaking about the importance of car restraints.

Land Transport and Safety Authority figures indicated that many Maori and Pacific families were not using car seats. Only half of all families in Manukau city – a community with large numbers of Maori and Pacific peoples – were putting their children in car seats.

"That means half of our children in Manukau have their lives risked every time they get in the car," said Mr Gosche.

"Our children are our greatest treasure. They are our future and we must keep them safe."

Mr Gosche said he was keen to investigate ways of making it easier for families to have access to car seats.

ENDS

Plunket Life Saver Car Seat Campaign
Saturday, 11 March 2000 @ 11am
Pasifika Festival 2000
Lakeside Western Springs, Auckland

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