Geraldton police OIC Sen. Sgt Chris Martin’s school holiday safety tips for kids, warning for texting drivers

It’s the final week of school holidays, my kids have been off for the past two weeks and my wife has done a great job of looking after them while I’ve been at work. But now’s a good time to raise some school holiday safety tips. The school holiday period gives kids the chance to be a bit more independent than what they normally would be and they need to be aware of some of the dangers around that. If your kids are anything like mine they’re out the front throwing the basketball, continually kicking soccer balls over fences and so on. I see a lot of kids in groups together on bikes enjoying the nice weather we’re having. It’s just about knowing where your kids are going to be. If they’re going into town, make sure they know their way around, make sure you know where they are and that they keep in touch with you. If they’re out riding their bikes, make sure they lock them up safely. If they’re in a group, have one of them stay with the bikes. Don’t leave them unattended because bicycles go missing pretty quickly. Keep your personal possessions on your person or locked away. Don’t leave them unattended because they tend to go walkies. Our road users should be reminded that our kids are often keeping active around the suburbs and must be mindful when driving around. Little ones often forget that cars can speed around the corner at any time and the last thing we want is an accident, especially during school holidays. On that note, everyone has a mobile phone now and it’s evident for me as a cyclist that people are texting and driving. The car starts to veer in one direction or the other, you almost get cleaned up, they’re obviously looking down and aren’t watching where the car’s going. It’s so obvious. Just because a police officer doesn’t see right then and there, it’s very easy for us to make a report and follow up later on and give you a fine of $1000. It’s blatantly dangerous and we’re on to it, so just stop it folks. Sen. Sgt Chris Martin is officer-in-charge at Geraldton Police Station