Does a child need to die?

Does a child need to die, before the Government do something about these rediculous speed limits outside schools?! They are obviously trying to shut this discussion down. And here I must say thank you to TVNZ for supporting my cause and letting me come onto your Breakfast programme to discuss this. Obvious by their absence was the Government, who on other occasions have declined to be interviewed by the media over this matter. Is this because they would like the subject swept under the carpet or is it because I am a mere uneducated mother from the motherland of all things? (Let me state here that I am a staunch All Black supporter and disgusted by the Pommy “Pretend Black” behaviour. Go the All Blacks!)

There is no fuel without fire. And as we all know all a little fuel in the form of few sticks or stones come in quite handy to start a fire. So why don’t we play a game? Bags be the oxygen and you can choose to arm yourselves with either the sticks or stones. So lets start this fire. Oh look I see a flame starting, but we could do with some wind to gently fan it. Since I forgot to involve the Government here why don’t we give them an honorary position of “the wind”? There we go, the fires are starting, but can you believe it? The naughty wind is desperately trying to blow out all our lovely fires. However luck seems on our side as they’re spreading. Oh no it’s getting out of control! But don’t worry, the Government have hired a big wind machine, why don’t we call that the NZTA. Will they manage to blow the fire off shore or will they tackle it head on? Perhaps our Transport Minister, Steven Joyce could be Superman and leap in with some water to save the day.

Here are some ideas to add to the fire. As yet I have never had a straight answer to these questions:

• Are you happy with a 70km/h or even 100km/h outside schools?

• Would you be happy for your child to go to a school with said speed limits?

• Are you aware that if you suddenly need to brake when driving at 70km/h you still travel another 19 metres in reaction mode and at 100km/h from the moment you need to brake you travel a full 28 metres before you have even hit the brake? So if a child runs out just 28 metres in front of your car, whilst you are travelling at a legal limit of 100km/h outside a school, you will still hit this child at a whopping 100km/h!

• Considering the dangerous discrepancies of speed limits outside schools at the moment, what are you doing to solve this?

• Since 40km/h has been proven to be a relatively safe speed near schools why not introduce it nationally?

• Are you aware that Sweden has the lowest child deaths in the world and that most child deaths are in transport accidents? Sweden have a strict policy of slowing traffic outside schools and play areas to a maximum of 30km/h as recommended by World Health Organisation.

• Since you are in charge of Transport, what are you doing about these school speed limits?

So please help me out, face up to the wind and tackle Superman, before another child is injured or killed on their journey to or from school.

ENDS

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