Driveway and road safety is the focus of a new interactive app featuring Sesame Street’s Elmo and Grover, as part of the Elmo Stays Safe campaign.
The second instalment of the campaign promotes safe driveway practices and raises awareness amongst parents and children of the dangers posed by vehicles in driveways, car parks and on roads.
Its key message is that driveways are no place for kids to play.
Originally launched in 2013, the initiative has been developed by partners Sesame Workshop, Kidsafe Victoria, the TAC and RACV, as a CSA and complimentary storybook that was delivered to Family Day Care services throughout Victoria. Due to the program’s success, a second phase has been developed to roll-out nationally.
Fifty-four children aged 0–14 years were hit and killed by vehicles in driveways in Australia between January 2001 and December 2010. In Victoria, 14 children aged under six were killed when hit by vehicles in driveways between January 2000 and September 2012. Another 73 children were seriously injured in driveway accidents during the same period.
Assistant Treasurer Gordon Rich-Philips, Minister for the TAC in Victoria, said, “It’s vital that children are taught about road safety from a young age, especially how to play safely around driveways.”
“Parents and caregivers can help children from a young age to develop good road safety practices, so that they learn to make safe choices as they grow into independent road users.”
Kidsafe Victoria President Erica Edmands said children were unpredictable, inquisitive and surprisingly quick and mobile.
“It is important as adults that we always ‘supervise, separate and see’, to help keep children safe in areas such as driveways,” she said.
Robert Knezevic, Vice President, International Project Manager at Sesame Workshop said, “As the single largest informal educator of children around the world, Sesame Workshop has a long history of creating educational media and public service campaigns that have a measurable impact on the lives of families.
“Through the power of our Sesame Street Muppets, and local expertise, we’re able to provide Australian children and parents vital road safety messages.”
The Elmo Stays Safe campaign contributes to the international effort to reduce child injury and death as part of the UN Global Decade of Action for Road Safety.
Visit Kidsafe for more information.
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