Our Road Safety Coordinator, Jeni Thornborough, hit the road last month and joined the Golden Bay Works Trust Whānau Day. Jeni took fun displays and activities, which packed some serious road safety messages.

Before putting the display together, she checked in with local police for key road safety messages and reminders needed in their patch. The two biggies were driving while distracted and drunk, so Jeni put together interactive activities to drive home those messages.

The Impairment Goggles, or if you like “beer goggles”, simulate different levels of impairment when under the influence of alcohol. People tried to get a key in a padlock, representing a car door or ignition, and many discovered just how difficult that was.

The road safety puzzle was popular with youngsters showing people doing right and wrong things, before picking a prize.

Jeni says teaching children that if they see an adult on their phone while driving – tell them to STOP, was a big message pushed. She says with many free children’s road safety activity books being picked up, she hoped these conversations would continue at home.

Throughout the day, Jeni and her helpers had more than 300 road safety conversations with the Golden Bay community around road safety.

She’ll be back at the Golden Bay A&P Show in January with the Seatbelt Crash Simulator, but if you’d like Jeni to attend your event anywhere in Tasman, get in touch via email, [email protected].