We Need a National Speed Limit Outside Schools!

My name is Lucinda Rees, I am a mother of two and I have been campaigning to get the national speed outside schools lowered to 40 km/h during drop off and pick up. Currently there is no national speed limit outside schools, although many city schools have a speed limit of 40 km per hour or less at busy times, but country schools rarely have that option and many are on roads where traffic can legally travel at 100 km/h. One of my children goes to Swannanoa School in North Canterbury where cars are often found to travel in excess of 100 km/h, even at school start and finish.

Then there are school buses that are loading or unloading. Drivers are supposed to slow down to 20 km/h when passing a stationary bus full of school children, yet very few do and I am not aware of any drivers being fined for driving over 20 km/h outside Swannanoa School, whilst the bus is parked up. But to get back to the point, there is a law that states that drivers should slow down to 20 km/h when passing a school bus, yet there is no national speed limit outside schools. At times it is unrealistic to expect drivers to reduce their speed from 100 km/h to 20 km/h when the bus is parked and a national school zone speed limit of 40 km/h could reduce driver’s speeds before they get to the bus parked outside a school.

I have contacted the Ministry of Transport in the past with my concerns and they have always come up with excuses, however they currently looking at various ways that they can improve upon their many responsibilities including speeds travelled outside schools and school buses and are interested in the views of the public. This is the way that we can all be heard! I had started a petition, which was going along nicely, but I think this way more people are likely to have their say.

For more information you can visit www.saferjourneys.govt.nz. On the Safer Journeys website views can be submitted in a survey called “Top Initiatives” where you give marks between 1 and 20, with 1 being the most popular and 20 being the least and/or make a submission. Alternatively submissions can be emailed to: safer journeys@transport.govt.nz or just sent to: Safer Journeys, PO Box 3175, Wellington 6140.

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