Safekids New Zealand - Key safety messages

Key safety messages

These are the key safety messages from our ‘Safety Topics’ webpages:

Motor Vehicle Passenger Injury
Key Safety Message:
The Higher You Sit, The Safer the Fit: Adult seat belts don't fit children properly until they're 148cm tall, which is why it's so important for pre-school and school-aged kids to stay in an appropriate child restraint or booster seat.
The back seat is safest for kids.

For more about child motor vehicle passenger injury please click here.

Burn Injury
Key Safety Messages:

Hot water burns like fire - Always keep hot drinks out of the reach of children.

Never drink hot liquids while holding a child.

Set your hot water temperature so it is 50-55° Celsius at the tap.

Clothing burns, please make sure your kids are always a meter from the heater.

Use smoke alarms.
For more about burn injury please click here.

Cutting & Piercing Injury
Key Safety Messages:
Be Sharp: Help prevent unintentional Cutting and Piercing injuries around the home and in public play spaces by clearing up broken glass.
Use Safety Glass in windows and doors.
For more about cutting and piercing injury please click here.

All Terrain Vehicle (ATV) Related Injury
Key Safety Messages:
Keep kids under 16 off ATVs.
ATVs are machines - not toys.
In general, kids under 16 years aren't heavy enough to control them; aren't big enough to ride them and don't have the skills or knowledge to operate them.
For more about ATV related injury please click here.

Cyclist Injury
Key Safety Messages:

BE SMART - Plan safe cycle routes with an adult.

BE SAFE - No helmet, no bike.

BE SEEN - Wear bright colours and use reflective gear.
For more about cyclist injury please click here.

Drowning
Key Safety Messages:
Ages 0-2 years - Always maintain hand contact with babies and stay within sight and reach of your child in the bath.

Ages 1-5 years - Stay within sight and reach of your child when in, on and around water.

Actively supervise your kids when they are in, on and around water.

Use four-sided pool fencing with a self-closing, self-latching gate.
For more about drowning please click here.

Fall Injury
Key Safety Messages:

Supervise kids at playgrounds.

Use stair and door gates/ guards.

Use safety latches on windows kids can reach.

Use helmets and other safety gear with wheeled toys like skateboards and skates.

Babies don't need baby walkers.

Bunk beds are for older kids.

Keep other furniture away from bunk beds.
For more about fall injury please click here.

Home Driveway Run Over Injury
Key Safety Messages:

Know where the kids are before getting in the car, there's no going back.

CHECK for children before driving off.

SUPERVISE children around vehicles - always.

SEPARATE play areas from driveways.
For more about driveway run over injury please click here.

Pedestrian Injury
Key Safety Messages:

Teach kids how to use pedestrian crossings and controlled intersections safely.

Use existing, or establish new Walking School Buses.

School Travel Plans save lives.

Slow down for kids getting on or off buses - the law says 20 kph (in both directions).
For more about pedestrian injury please click here.

Poisoning
Key Safety Messages:
STORE all medicines, chemicals and cleaners out of children's reach and sight.

ASK your pharmacist for safety caps on medicines - there may be a small cost.

FOLLOW the dose instructions from your doctor or pharmacist.

ENSURE you read and follow safety instructions on medicines, chemicals and cleaners.
For more about poisoning injury please click here.

This page was last updated 7 October, 2010.