Ruben shares his road safety tips on the Coromandel

Ruben the Road Safety Bear will be travelling the Coromandel Peninsula this month to teach children up to seven years of age, foundation road safety skills.

The popular bear is the mascot for the Waikato Regional Council’s young road user safety programme and works with our road safety coordinators throughout the region including our own, Ingrid Le Fevre.

“Ruben will be delivering his road safety lessons in both English and Maori to schools, preschools, kohanga reo and kura throughout the Coromandel including Colville, Whitianga, Tairua and many places in between. The children are invited to enter Ruben’s road safety draw at the Whitianga and Tairua libraries and to join Ruben’s Kid’s Club so they can receive exciting newsletters reminding them of his key road safety messages into the future,” says Ms Le Fevre.

Ms Le Fevre encourages parents to actively support road safety messages by role modelling safe road behaviour. “What children see they do, so being a good role model is an important part of teaching children good road safety practices,” she says.

Ruben’s website (www.ruben.govt.nz) features his key safety messages, activities for children, as well as helpful links and information for teachers, parents and caregivers.

For more information about road safety in the Coromandel visit our website, www.tcdc.govt.nz/roadsafety.

Ruben’s five key messages are:

• Seat yourself right, buckle in tight: Buckle into a correctly sized car seat on every trip in a vehicle.

• Stop, look, listen and link: Before crossing the road stop back from the curb, look and listen for vehicles and bikes, link hands with a safe person and walk quickly across the road, still looking as you go.

• Look out for sneaky driveways: When you are walking on the footpath, remember to ‘stop, look, listen and link’ at each driveway just like when you are crossing the road.

• Helmet on right and tight: Wear a correctly fitting helmet every time you ride your bike or scooter.

• Be bright, dress bright: When out and about, wear bright clothing and backpacks so other road users can easily see you.

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