A Whakatāne mother whose five-year-old son had a near miss with a reversing car outside Apanui School this week would like to see parents take more care in the area.

Iesha Taipeti and her son  Weston, pictured right, were walking to school on Tuesday morning when a driver reversed out of onsite school parking on Pounama Place without seeing her child on the footpath.

She said it was just lucky Weston noticed her and stopped shy of the driveway.

“Had he been distracted; he would have been under that car.”

Apanui School has stationed staff at its entrances on Pounama Place and McAlister Street during school drop off and pick up times following the incident.

Ms Taipeti said the mother behind the wheel pulled out across the footpath quickly and did not notice Weston until she was out on the road.

“She knew what she had done. She just took off; didn’t wind the window down to say sorry.”

Ms Taipeti said when they walk along Apanui Avenue, she gets her son to ride his scooter around the Pounama Place cul-de-sac while she crosses the road, because that way he can stay on the footpath where she thought it would be safer for him.

“Now he has to cross the road with me. I don’t trust the cul-de-sac.

“I just don’t want it happening to anyone else’s child.”

While she acknowledged the driver on Tuesday was not parked illegally, she thought she should have checked her surroundings better before reversing out of her spot, knowing there was likely to be kids around.

Ms Taipeti said she often saw parents who were parked illegally on Pounama Place, which is marked with yellow lines except for two on-road parking spaces.

She wondered what the point of the yellow lines were if they were not going to be enforced.

An empty section on the corner of Pounama Place and Apanui Avenue is used by some parents, which Ms Taipeti supports.

She reported her concerns about road safety near the school to Apanui School staff, police and Whakatāne District Council, which she said was a rare move for her.

“I don’t go to the council, I don’t go to the police, but my son could have died today.”

A statement from Apanui School’s board acknowledges that, like many schools, Apanui experiences traffic congestion at its entrances during drop-off and pick-up times.

“Our school staff spoke to all parties involved immediately after the incident occurred. We have additionally been in contact with the council’s road safety team and will be exploring possible solutions to address the congestion issues.

“In the immediate term, staff are stationed at both entrances to help educate our whānau on the rules and regulations that apply to our sections of McAlister Street and Pounama Place. We remind everyone that no cars should stop on the yellow lines at any time, no matter how brief the drop-off may be.”

Whakatāne District Council community safety adviser Richard Hamer said the council worked closely with schools, police and traffic wardens to address illegal and dangerous parking.

Council staff, police and traffic wardens have been visiting schools during drop-off and pick-up times as part of a new “No Excuses – Park Safely to Protect Our Kids” campaign.

Mr Hamer said they had been outside the school entrance on Pounama Place three times since the start of the term.

The council has also run targeted campaigns to educate drivers on the risks and the road code rules they need to follow.

He said although the council had not received any formal complaints like Ms Taipeti’s, illegal and dangerous parking remained an ongoing issue at several schools across the district.

“Council encourages parents to follow the road rules and be considerate of others when dropping off and picking up tamariki from school. Let’s keep our school zones safe for everyone.”