School Zone Malarky

The RTA have just completed an audit of 11 Sydney School Zones which showed
that 50% of drivers ignored the speed zones.
State and Local government are falling over themselves to use this headline
as an opportunity to highlight their road safety policies, yet not one of
them has mentioned the accident rate (or lack of) in these zones.
If we were to draw an objective, unemotional conclusion from these findings,
it would be that speed seems to play no part in the crash rate.

 

Wouldn't be conclusive. The accident rate may be no different to when the speed
limits were higher because the ones that were crashing were the ones that are
speeding now.

--
Ben Thomas - Software Engineer - Melbourne, Australia
2001 manual 2.2l Holden Astra SRi - a real pleasure to drive;
Michelin Preceda - $250 each but last a lot longer than $200 tyres;
Alpine Type S speakers and amp, JVC MP3 CD playing head-unit.

So much for the 4 line sig:
Opinions, conclusions, and other information in this message that do not
relate to the official business of my employer shall be understood as neither
given nor endorsed by it.

 

How many children should die to prove your point. Speeding in school zones
should attract a massive fine and immediate disqualification for 6 months,
The number of accidents is irrelevant, children's safety is paramount.

Boxer

 

I support 40km/h near schools but the emphasis should be on teaching the
kids to watch out for vehicles. They don't live their lives in 40k
zones and it seems that basic safety awareness is lacking in so many
kids and young adults these days.

Things like not putting naked flames near things that burn, playing
chicken with traffic, taking electricity for granted and looking before
you leap.

The attitude seems to be these days that it's always someone else's
fault and if I do get hurt I can sue someone.

 

In aus.motorcycles on Thu, 29 Sep 2005 04:38:20 GMT

I'd be more inclined to that view if the school zones had lights or
other information to say when they were active.

As they do in other states but not in NSW.

I'd also be more impressed with that if the zones were made no parking,
and if that was policed.

Zebee

 

Particularly those in large 4WD wagons carting their kids to school!

 

Actually, around where I live you need a number of _incidents_ before you
even get a school crosswalk. A body count, if you like that terminology.
We've gotta save the children, they're potential taxpayers, if they can find
a job.

Theo

 

Not here Zebee. We have a 40 sign between 7:30 am and 9 then again between
2:30 and 4, on school days. How the hell am I supposed to know when school
days are. This week isn't, apparently.

Theo

 

Zero recorded crashes == no risk.

If "children's safety is paramount"; then the appropriate penalty is
obviously summary execution of the offender at the roadside by
Police. That will ensure that there is no re-offence by the offender
continuing to drive while disqualified.

Too bad that the typical offender will be a parent of a child
atending the school in that zone.

 

Yep,

The problem is, the Govt and road authorities don't take it seriously.
In VIc, they have put in place a system seemingly designed to maximise
confusion.

We have:
some school zones that are 24/7, indicated only by the 40k signs.

some that say "school zone" and indicate a restriction between specific
hours, monday to friday - no mention of holidays. Some include a
saturday restriction time.

Some use the expression "School Days" to describe the period when they
are operative. (Do you know when the holidays are?)

In many instances there is no indication that there is a school in the
vicinity, just a "40" speed sign up on a lamp post somewhere.

Example: How many people are aware that there are some 40 zones along
short stretches of Sydney Rd Brunswick? I've been using that road a
couple of times a week for years, and only last week I noticed the 40
sign near Sydney Rd Community School (It doesn't look like a school,
it's a bluestone ex-church). With all the other signage along that road,
It's not easy to find the speed signs mounted up on the light poles.
Too many other things to look out for.

In the road that runs down past the showgrounds there's a school zone,
but the sign is up high, close to the corner and partly obscured,
Watching the traffic as you turn the corner, checking the traffic as you
enter the road, by the time you start looking for second-level threats
like speed limit signs, you're right under it, and can't see it.

The technology to add a flashing yellow light to the school zone signs
that indicates they are active is simple and cheap. Some rural schools
have solar powered LED variable speed limit signs. These work well.

If the Govt was really about safety rather than raising revenue, they
would put in place a system that maximised the safety of the children,
rather than the cockeyed stealth tax system we now have.

Moike

 

There is a NSW school zone that has flashing lights on it just round the
corner. Did you mean the other NSW?

Hammo

 

There's one in Goulburn, but that's the only one I've ever seen.

 

What, you don't keep your Gazette under your pillow? As you well know,
ignorance of the law is no excuse!

Not here, either.

Gary

 

Everyone makes mistakes, why should this one be any worse than others? Hey,
put speeds around school zones up to 80km/h. I bet you little Billy won't
hop out in front of any more cars!

 

Building schools next to major arterial roads should attract immediate
massive fines and sacking of any politician who approves it.

Regards, Andrew.

 

Grimshaw Street, Greensborough. The road has a 40kph school zone during
the morning and afternoon. The zone is about 400 metres long. The road
is on a hill and enters a cutting, the footpath is on the elevated banks
of the cutting about 10 metres above the roadway. There is no
pedestrian access to the roadway for the duration of the cutting and
there is a pedestrian bridge over the roadway. The school zone starts
about 50 metres before the cutting, runs for the length of the cutting,
and reverts back to a normal speed zone about 50 metres after the
cutting. So traffic slows where there is no possibility of a child
running out in front of a car, and speeds up where there is. Go figure.

Nev..

 

My point has already been proven and no child died in the process.

But I said we were drawing objective, unemotional conclusions. Subjective
emotional conclusions are that way -->

 

We had already had a system that worked. Don't go on the road.
Natural Selection will take care of the rest.

 

Then don't let the poor little dears go anywhere near a school!

(or don't you really mean "paramount" just "pretty important")

What do you think is the best way to protect your children?
Removing all hazards from their environment for as long as you can, or
teaching them to recognise and respect hazardous situations?

Moike
I wasn't allowed to ride my bike across the Hume Highway until I was seven.
I wasn't allowed to use a gun until I was 10!

But I knew quite well what the dangers were in each case.

 

I think they are being trialled in about three locations throughout the
state. Cost to install at all the schools in the state would be fairly
high.
JD