The Road Safety Authority (RSA) is encouraging families to “plant the seed of road safety” early, as it prepares to sponsor the Budding Bloomers Family Area at this year’s Bord Bia Bloom, taking place in the Phoenix Park, Dublin from Thursday, 28 May to Monday, 1 June 2026.
The sponsorship will bring road safety education to the heart of one of Ireland’s most celebrated festivals of gardening, food, and sustainable living, with the RSA team on site across the June Bank Holiday weekend to engage children, parents and guardians in fun, practical and accessible road safety conversations. The theme of planting the seed of road safety in young minds, reflects the importance of helping children understand safe road behaviours from an early age, whether they are passengers, pedestrians, cyclists or future road users.
The RSA Budding Bloomers Family Area will feature a range of fun, educational and interactive activities for younger visitors:
-
Meet the RSA Seatbelt Sheriff: Young visitors will have the chance to meet the RSA Seatbelt Sheriff, who will be on hand on Saturday and Sunday to spark fun conversations about the importance of buckling up on every journey.
-
Explore the RSA Safety Garden: Families can step into the RSA’s interactive Safety Garden, a self-guided space in the Budding Bloomers Family Area designed to help children learn key road safety messages through play. The garden will feature hands-on stations including a mini road-crossing path with zebra crossing and traffic light props, a Be Seen to Grow dress-up area with high-vis and reflective stickers, and a central arts and crafts zone with road safety colouring activities.
-
Introducing the Safety Gardener: Comedian John Spillane will perform as the RSA’s Safety Gardener on Thursday, Friday and Monday, with a performance titled Go Safe, Grow Safe with the RSA , planting the seeds of road safety through fun, interactive and family-focused stage performances.
-
Child car seat safety advice: The RSA’s Check it Fits team will be on site on select days to provide practical demonstrations and expert advice to parents and guardians on how to correctly fit child car seats.
Christine Hegarty, Road Safety and Education Manager at the RSA, said: “Bord Bia Bloom is a wonderful family occasion, and the Budding Bloomers Family Area gives us a valuable opportunity to speak directly to children and parents in an engaging and practical way. We’re really excited to meet visitors across the weekend and to bring road safety messages to life in a fun, memorable and family-friendly setting. Road safety habits begin early, and by planting the seed of road safety in young minds, we can help children understand the importance of simple behaviours like always wearing a seatbelt, crossing safely and being aware on the roads. As families get ready for the summer months and more journeys together, our message is simple: every safe habit matters, and every journey is an opportunity to protect the people we love.”
Bord Bia Bloom marks the first event in the RSA’s summer roadshow programme for 2026, with further activity planned across the summer months to support safer journeys for families and communities nationwide. The festival will take place across a 70-acre site in the Phoenix Park, Dublin, with a programme of gardens, food, live entertainment, talks, workshops and family activities.
Families can find out more about the RSA’s road safety education activity and Check it Fits service at www.rsa.ie. More information on Bord Bia Bloom is available at www.bordbiabloom.com.
