“Holiday Time – Slow Down, Kids Around” campaign returns to Gladstone during these school holidays
Little Blue Dinosaur Foundation and Gladstone Regional Council will join forces again to reduce child pedestrian injuries and fatalities across the region.
Motorists will notice the “Holiday Time; Slow Down, Kids Around” signage erected at beaches, parks and other busy recreational locations, urging people to slow down and take extra care on our roads during the holiday period.
Gladstone Region Acting Mayor Kahn Goodluck said school holiday periods created a surge in the number of children using local roads and paths.
“Holiday Time; Slow Down, Kids Around is a highly visible and timely reminder about the importance of road safety, for both residents and visitors to be more aware of the increase in pedestrian activity in our area,” Councillor Goodluck said.
“With more kids around it’s really important for all motorists to stay aware and vigilant on the road as kids can react impulsively and forget about road safety.
“That is why the Holiday Time campaign is so important – it puts the onus on drivers, parents and carers to recognise the potential danger in busy holiday spots and take extra precautions to ensure our kids are kept safe.”
Tom’s parents, Michelle and David McLaughlin, who founded Little Blue Dinosaur, now channel their energy into making school holidays safer for children.
“Tragically, Bureau of Infrastructure and Transport Research Economics (BITRE) data reveals that since January 2014 till August 2020, 391 children, including Tom McLaughlin, have lost their lives to road trauma,” Michelle said.
“Further, the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare indicates that the most common cause of death of children aged 1-14 years is road trauma.
“Holiday destinations will be even busier this year due to COVID-19 travel restrictions. For children and their families, these new environments are most often new and unfamiliar with key visual roadway differences, including lack of kerbs/guttering, no line markings or footpaths.
"We lost our precious son, Tom in the blink of an eye. We don’t want this to happen to anyone else. The cost is just too high. That’s why the 'Holiday Time, Slow Down Kids Around' message is so important.”
Michelle said Little Blue Dinosaur was excited to be working with Gladstone Regional Council again in 2020.
The campaign is now supported by 65 councils across four states in Australia.
Little Blue Dinosaur is also pleased to announce that Michelle has written a beautiful book around Child Pedestrian Road Safety called Tom’s Holiday.
The colourful book has been especially written and designed for both children, parents and their carers to provide detailed lifesaving road safety tips and education particularly around busy holiday periods.
Please visit www.littlebluedinosaur.org for more information about the Hold My Hand Campaign or Tom’s Holiday.
For further information please contact:
Jeff Kaplan
Media and Communications - Little Blue Dinosaur Foundation
email: amanda@littlebluedinosaur.org
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