As part of Road Safety Week, Concord School pupils got a visit from local traffic management who taught them about the work that local engineers, roadworkers and traffic management personnel do to help keep people safe.
NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi lower South Island journey manager Nicole Felts said they had come along to the school to speak to pupils about how they could be road safety heroes.
‘‘We've been talking a bit about what they can do, like wearing a helmet when they're on a bike or a scooter, looking both ways before they cross the road, what some of the signs and what the cones mean.’’
Downer South Island regional traffic manager Dan Kinraid said his staff had just as much fun sharing their knowledge with the children.
At first, he was worried they might not be interested in their equipment, but soon found out trucks, big, brightly-coloured signs and roading equipment utterly entranced the pupils.
‘‘It’s pretty cool to spend a bit of time with them and explain to them what it's all about, so they understand it, too, because quite often traffic management's kind of overlooked.’’
Mr Kinraid and other Downer employees showed the pupils their general traffic management truck, as well as a traffic management attenuator, which is used on the motorway to protect workers and the public by acting as a crash pad.
It is designed to absorb a colliding vehicle's kinetic energy to bring it to a stop safely.
Pupils also took turns holding a stop/go sign.
The Dunedin City Council and Beca were also in attendance.
Now in its 15th year, Road Safety Week, which runs until May 10, is co-ordinated by the road safety charity Brake and is sponsored by NZTA.
