Barfoot & Thompson Targets Driveway Safety

20 April 2006

Media Release

Barfoot & Thompson Targets Driveway Safety

Leading Auckland real estate firm Barfoot & Thompson is using its network of almost a thousand salespeople to help prevent children being injured or killed in tragic driveway accidents.

As a Five Star Sponsor of the Starship Foundation, Barfoot & Thompson has partnered with the injury prevention service of Starship Children’s Health – Safekids – to develop and distribute a series of brochures on the theme of Keeping Our Kids Safe as Houses. In light of recent driveway tragedies, the decision was made to focus the latest one on preventing driveway injuries.

Barfoot & Thompson Director Peter Thompson says, “We have a network of almost a thousand salespeople across Auckland and Northland and we’ll be arming them with supplies of the brochure and encouraging them to distribute it through mail outs and letter box drops, as well as making it available to prospective buyers coming through our open homes.”

Mr Thompson says the company, which is one of the Starship Foundation top five supporters, has a long term commitment to the health and safety of children. “We are also taking the opportunity to remind our own salespeople about driveway safety issues as the nature of our work sees us regularly visiting private homes where there are often small children about.”

Safekids Director Ann Weaver says, “Injuries to children in driveways are both tragic and devastating, as more often than not it is the child’s own parent or a family member who is behind the wheel and the driver has often seen the child in a safe place just prior to the accident occurring. On average two children a month are admitted to Starship after being reversed over in the driveway.”

“We’re delighted that Barfoot & Thompson is actively promoting driveway safety information and recommend the brochure as a good source of practical safety tips for families with small children. Safekids is also developing a multi-language parent resource for distribution nationally in July.”

Copies of Keeping Our Kids Safe as Houses: Preventing Driveway Injuries are available from all Barfoot & Thompson branches or by contacting any Barfoot & Thompson salesperson.

Key tips for keeping kids safe around driveways:

- When you leave the house, shut the door securely so that children cannot run outside after you.
- Before driving off, make sure you know where all children are. Check, check and check again.
- If you’re on your own and need to move a vehicle, it’s safer to get the children to ride in the car with you.
- It is safer to drive forward when leaving a property – consider whether you can reverse into your garage or driveway.
- Be sure to check your vehicle’s ‘blind spot’ before reversing up the driveway.
- Hold children firmly by the hand whenever a vehicle is being moved.
- If your driveway borders a play area, fence it.

ENDS

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