St Anthony’s School takes action to prevent dangerous driving

St Anthony's School students making signs to hold up outside their school to raise awareness for road safety week.

A Whanganui school is taking part in national road safety week, with students protesting by the road to raise awareness about dangerous driving.

St Anthony’s School road safety organiser Francis Foster said the school - on York St in Gonville - sat on a busy road that often had teachers worried for students crossing after school hours.

“We are right at the three-way junction, it’s really, really dangerous,” Foster said.

On Monday, students will stand outside the school with signs they made in class to alert drivers bearing phrases such as “Eyes on the road, not on the phone” and ‘Don’t drink and drive, stay alive’.

St Anthony's School students will be gathering outside their school on May 15 with signs to alert drivers about the importance of road safety.

Foster said the students would wear bright colours and drivers were encouraged to honk their horns in support of the cause.

“They are very excited,” Foster said.

“I’m passionate about taking part in road safety week. It’s the first time the school has done it on a whole-week basis.”

The proceeds from a cupcake fundraiser day and gold coin donation mufti-day would go towards Brake - the charity behind road safety week.

Foster said recent car accidents in Whanganui and throughout New Zealand had made him realise the urgency of delivering a message to drivers to be cautious.

“If the person who dies in a car accident is young, they had their whole life ahead of them, and it’s so sad to see it go at such a young age.”

At the end of the week, a policeman was to be visiting the school for a road safety assembly where the students would be quizzed on what they had learned.

Brake New Zealand director Caroline Perr said she wanted everyone to learn about the design-led solutions that help to save lives and end suffering from road trauma.

“We believe it’s everyone’s human right to be able to get around in a safe and healthy way, every day.

“There are lots of people who work to make our roads safer, to save lives when crashes happen and to support those affected by crashes.”

Perr said across the country, hundreds of organisations, schools and community groups would be recognising those who work to make the roads safer.

People were also urged to support road safety week by wearing yellow or displaying a yellow ribbon to raise awareness.