The NZ Trucking Association has been swamped with bookings to take the Share the Road Safely with Big Trucks programme to schools. 

Future bookings for more than 100,000 people have been received, proving the community wants a proactive approach to learning tips on how to share the road with big trucks.

The programme is proving to be not only educational but also effective, with students taking home a safety tip booklet and sharing it with their families and friends.

Volunteers from the industry have found the programme so good they volunteer for the next visit. The association says this is a robust sustainable programme and now needs industry support so it can be expanded to other centres around New Zealand.

Amberley may have turned on some rain the day the programme visited but it didn‘t dampen any spirits. The team from Fonterra was a huge drawcard as the students see the tankers every day, as the road past the school is one of the main routes for the company, but had never been inside the truck or talked to the driver. The rain didn‘t deter those waiting to see inside the cab of the Western Star from Heavy Trucks either.

The bright visuals, including large banners and play mats, ensure the easy to understand safety tips are engaging and memorable. Letters of support are flooding in as more and more people visit the programme and see how it all works.

The next visit is September 26 at the Ageing Positively Expo at Papanui High School, where 6000 people are expected.