"They love it. We are only just up the road but lots of kids use them, when you go to school you see them on the scooters and bikes and skateboards," she said.
Ms Petricevich said her girls had not suffered any "real injuries, no broken legs or arms".
"But that's what it's all about. If they climb trees they might fall out. Of course, I don't let them scoot in the driveway or the road.
"There are limitations as long as they're careful. But it's part of growing up [getting scrapes from riding scooters, bikes, etc]." Accident and Healthcare in 2nd Ave Dave Gilbert said the centre had not seen a noticeable increase in injuries.
"We get children in for jungle gyms, skateboards, snowboards but not really scooters," he added. Omanu School principal Rex Allott said many of his students used scooters to get to and from school, something he actively encouraged.
"We want the kids to be getting to and from school independently, not being dropped off just outside school."
The school did not encourage helmet use with older children because it was not mandatory but it was something he would reconsider, he said.
Safekids New Zealand director Ann Weaver said scooter injuries were similar to cycling injuries, such as falls and collisions resulting in head and facial injuries and fractures to the arm and wrist. A large proportion of these ailments involved dart and dash cases, where children failed to stop or slow down before trying to cross the road, Ms Weaver said.
"Compared to an adult, children's senses are not fully developed.
"Their peripheral vision and hearing is limited, which can lead to them missing critical cues of danger."
Tauranga Hospital could not be reached for comment.
Safe2Skoot
The Safe2Skoot Programme will deliver information packs to schools containing a policy document template that will help school principals implement a 'no helmet-no scooter' rule.
The pack will also contain promotional material that will encourage safe scooter behaviours when kids travel to and from school:
Wear correctly fitting helmets that meet an approved safety standard
Ride on the footpath, and watch out for sneaky driveways
Give way to pedestrians
Cross roads safely on foot, at pedestrian crossings
Wear elbow and knee pads
In the absence of a helmet regulation that protects scooter-loving children, schools will be encouraged to use the programme to take a leadership role in keeping children safe when riding scooters to and from school.
Jetstar awarded Safekids a $30,000 grant through the airline's Flying Start Programme, to raise awareness of scooter safety among Kiwi children.
