School zones - speed related

Lightning Strike GT · 18-03-2006, 08:56 PM

Just watching the local Brisbane news and low and behold Scruby was on there on his banter about the 40kmh school zones being too fast and he wants all of Australia to follow the Adelaide speed limit of 25kmh for all school zones - fair enough we have to protect the kiddies and some idiot parents as well BUT he wants it to be 25kmh for all of the school hours plus an hour or so either side ie from 630am to 630pm inclusive Australia wide so there is no confusion
I personally find the 40 kmh between 7-9 and 2-4 to be adequate as the kids should be in school between the times not running around out side the school grounds with out a parent or teacher

**Professor Farnsworth** · 18-03-2006, 09:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AU XR8

Just watching the local Brisbane news and low and behold Scruby was on there on his banter about the 40kmh school zones being too fast and he wants all of Australia to follow the Adelaide speed limit of 25kmh for all school zones - fair enough we have to protect the kiddies and some idiot parents as well BUT he wants it to be 25kmh for all of the school hours plus an hour or so either side ie from 630am to 630pm inclusive Australia wide so there is no confusion
I personally find the 40 kmh between 7-9 and 2-4 to be adequate as the kids should be in school between the times not running around out side the school grounds with out a parent or teacher

The suggestion for a 25km/h school zone is freaking ludicrous. It's hard enough (especially in an auto) trying to keep to the 40 zones.. and you can imagine how many mobile revenue units they'd have sitting there if that passed through. In Melbourne the 40 zones are between 8-9:30am and 2:30-4pm, which is intrusive enough. Why don't they just shut off the roads and divert the traffic ? You get enough impatient biartches in lancers up your backside as it is.

Falcon_Phill · 18-03-2006, 09:01 PM

25km? ИИИИin hell, as if 40 isnt slow enough. If you cant brake and stop within like a second doing 40, your a bloody idiot. 25km, may as well get out and walk faster then the car.

FordGuy · 18-03-2006, 09:06 PM

Next you will be walking the school zones not driving.And I thought we had issues with our school speed zones.

**Professor Farnsworth** · 18-03-2006, 09:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FordGuy

Next you will be walking the school zones not driving.And I thought we had issues with our school speed zones.

Yeah, 25km/h is about 15mph.. ridiculous.

FordGuy · 18-03-2006, 09:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fantz

Yeah, 25km/h is about 15mph.. ridiculous.

That's the exact speed of our school zones here in Florida.
Believe me I know how you feel.

svo347 · 18-03-2006, 09:17 PM

does it really matter.......
these are children zones, personally i dont care

**Professor Farnsworth** · 18-03-2006, 09:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by svo347

does it really matter.......
these are children zones, personally i dont care

No one is disputing that these are children zones, and that care must be taken around children when driving, but 40km/h combined with some general aptitude and awareness seems to me to be more than enough to keep everyone safe. Unless there have been studies to prove otherwise ? If so i'm happy to read them.

FordGuy · 18-03-2006, 09:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by svo347

does it really matter.......
these are children zones, personally i dont care

Yes it matters & you very much should care!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Don't get me started more when it involves children!!!!!!

**Professor Farnsworth** · 18-03-2006, 09:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FordGuy

Yes it matters & you very much should care!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Don't get me started more when it involves children!!!!!!

I'm actually wondering which way he meant that comment though now.. You could interpret it either way

FordGuy · 18-03-2006, 09:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fantz

I'm actually wondering which way he meant that comment though now.. You could interpret it either way

Then he needs to clarify what he meant by that comment.
Just want clarifiaction don't want to cause any trouble.

FordGuy · 18-03-2006, 09:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by svo347

does it really matter.......
these are children zones, personally i dont care

I really want you to clarify what you mean by you don't care. You should when it comes to the safety of a child.

Deadman · 18-03-2006, 09:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FordGuy

I really want you to clarify what you mean by you don't care. You should when it comes to the safety of a child.

Chill down. I'm almost certain he meant it as in "It's just the actual school zones where the speed would change, which doesn't concern me (him)" - not as in "I don't care cause I do 80km/h through there anyway in disregard of children"

Falcon_Phill · 18-03-2006, 09:57 PM

Who cares what he meant. He's entitled to his opinion.

svo347 · 18-03-2006, 09:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FordGuy

I really want you to clarify what you mean by you don't care. You should when it comes to the safety of a child.

Mate your a Pi$$er.......
Dont tell me, you have an AK47 in the house and know how to use it.
I couldnt care less if the speeds were 25 km/hr in school zones, afterall they are where children frequent quiet often, and where kids do run across the roads, so for me not really a bad idea.
Any dip$hit that would think by my comment being about not caring for kids especially in kid zones needs to re assess where his head would be better off suited.....

Redrum · 18-03-2006, 10:00 PM

An emotive thread. One must balance what is workable to what is safest for each situation. I think for school roads, where people park and pick up kids at beginning and end of school is fine to have fairly low speed limits, I think 40kmph is fine, although in some situations a lesser speed may be appropriate. But to have them hours before or after these times is stupid. I mean do they wish to slow all cars down to 5kmph or have no cars at all.

**Professor Farnsworth** · 18-03-2006, 10:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Redrum

An emotive thread. One must balance what is workable to what is safest for each situation. I think for school roads, where people park and pick up kids at beginning and end of school is fine to have fairly low speed limits, I think 40kmph is fine, although in some situations a lesser speed may be appropriate. But to have them hours before or after these times is stupid. I mean do they wish to slow all cars down to 5kmph or have no cars at all.

Exactly.

ltd · 18-03-2006, 10:45 PM

Wouldn't Darwins theory of evolution apply here?
Basically if you're too stupid to walk or run onto a road without looking you're gonna face the inevitable?

Seriously though, I believe instead of making us all Nanny states, we should focus on educating the children more than forcing drivers to go below 40kph.
For instance, I remember when I was a child we were taught by our school teachers and parents how to cross the road. There were also ads on during the hours that kids would normally be watching tv to reiterate to them with witty jingles the rules for crossing the road. This was by far more effective than any speed zones and quite frankly, it was almost unheard of at the time, that kids were struck down crossing the road.
Now, it's all about shifting responsibility to a third party ie the drivers.

And Ford Guy I think you coming from an american perspective need to appreciate that in Oz we have a number of police radar, fixed speed cameras and time shifting speed cameras that patrol our school zones.
Fine you say, well the problem is that we have no warning lights for the school zones, just a sign on the side of the road which is often obscured by growth of trees and shrubs and a sign painted on the road surface. You are not alerted within the zone just at the beginning.
With the variable speed cameras it is up to us drivers to set our cars time to GMT in order to avoid possibly losing 6 points off our licences for doing 60 in a 60 zone that is temporarily 40. The problem here is that most school zones are so poorly identified that you don't realise you are in one until halfway through.

If the speed in a school zone were to move to 25kmh that would mean that not realising you are in a school zone could cost you your licence. This is not down to inattentiveness either, this is because quite often there will be traffic, and you will be focussing your attention on the conditions ie somebody trying to turn right in front of you.

EF, What else? · 18-03-2006, 10:49 PM

I think the real issue hear isn't how fast the speed limit should be around schools, but how how fast we should be travelling when we hit Scruby! The bloke is an absolute tosser, does he actually listen to the ИИИИ that dribbles from his chin!

AMT · 18-03-2006, 10:54 PM

Are we all forgeting something...........at all schools there is a school crossing with a "lollypop person" to stop traffic and get the kids across the road safely and all the kids and parents should use it...!!!!!!!!!!!!

FordGuy · 18-03-2006, 11:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by svo347

Mate your a Pi$$er.......
Dont tell me, you have an AK47 in the house and know how to use it.
I couldnt care less if the speeds were 25 km/hr in school zones, afterall they are where children frequent quiet often, and where kids do run across the roads, so for me not really a bad idea.
Any dip$hit that would think by my comment being about not caring for kids especially in kid zones needs to re assess where his head would be better off suited.....

You know the Dip$hit comment really is not needed all I wanted was for you to clarify what you said earlier the namecalling is not needed. If I said anything harsh I apologize up front but again the Dip$hit comment was not needed.I'm done with it and you. HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND.

Ultimate · 18-03-2006, 11:05 PM

Look those kids are our future. But with most school zones there are ladies and men that control then. I personally come into a school zone and kids about i slow way the hell down.

FordGuy · 18-03-2006, 11:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ltd

Wouldn't Darwins theory of evolution apply here?
Basically if you're too stupid to walk or run onto a road without looking you're gonna face the inevitable?

Seriously though, I believe instead of making us all Nanny states, we should focus on educating the children more than forcing drivers to go below 40kph.
For instance, I remember when I was a child we were taught by our school teachers and parents how to cross the road. There were also ads on during the hours that kids would normally be watching tv to reiterate to them with witty jingles the rules for crossing the road. This was by far more effective than any speed zones and quite frankly, it was almost unheard of at the time, that kids were struck down crossing the road.
Now, it's all about shifting responsibility to a third party ie the drivers.

And Ford Guy I think you coming from an american perspective need to appreciate that in Oz we have a number of police radar, fixed speed cameras and time shifting speed cameras that patrol our school zones.
Fine you say, well the problem is that we have no warning lights for the school zones, just a sign on the side of the road which is often obscured by growth of trees and shrubs and a sign painted on the road surface. You are not alerted within the zone just at the beginning.
With the variable speed cameras it is up to us drivers to set our cars time to GMT in order to avoid possibly losing 6 points off our licences for doing 60 in a 60 zone that is temporarily 40. The problem here is that most school zones are so poorly identified that you don't realise you are in one until halfway through.

If the speed in a school zone were to move to 25kmh that would mean that not realising you are in a school zone could cost you your licence. This is not down to inattentiveness either, this is because quite often there will be traffic, and you will be focussing your attention on the conditions ie somebody trying to turn right in front of you.

Now with what you just said I undersdtand.THANK YOU.

svo347 · 18-03-2006, 11:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FordGuy

Now with what you just said I undersdtand.THANK YOU.

Yep me too

AMT · 18-03-2006, 11:19 PM

ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz................. ....

FordGuy · 18-03-2006, 11:21 PM

Relax All I'm Done With This Thread.

muppet · 18-03-2006, 11:45 PM

I think that 40 k's is fine but most people dont even slow down at all. I rang the local highway patrol and made a complaint about people speeding through the school zone where my kids go and asked them to come out and book people speeding through there.As I am ony there for 3 min to drop my kids off and every day I see someone doing 60 or even 70 through there .That was 6 months ago and nothing has happened.
I agree with ltd there needs to be more road education done in schools. I have seen that many kids just walk out on to the road with out even looking. I am not talking about very young kids I am talking about 14 and 15 year olds that should know better but dont . It is as though they get told that they have the right of way and the cars have to stop. I am yet to see a pedestrian win an argument with a car and even if you do have the right of way it's a bit hard to argue the point if you are dead . I think that both car drivers and pedestrians need to take responsability for there actions it cant just be the driver that has to look out. It's a bit hard to tell a young kid this I know but I allways tell my 7 year old son that if he just walks out on the road without looking he could die and he never crosses the road without looking.

ronwest · 18-03-2006, 11:53 PM

yeah well, the truth of it is that once upon a time we had stupid kids who were really only doing what kids do.... being unpredictable.

Now we have stupid kids *and* stupid drivers.

All we have to do is read these forums and any other auto forums to find out just how stupid some drivers are. Taking a drive down to the local shops will also adequately demonstrate my point.

The only real answer is to dumb down the road rules to accomodate the dumbed down drivers.

edit: for the sensitive I'll clarify my forums/drivers comments. What I meant was that forum members often post about the stupidity of those with whom we share the road.
I'm sure that there are no dumb and dumbers on this forum ;)

FASTXR · 19-03-2006, 12:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ltd

...the problem is that we have no warning lights for the school zones

Exactly!
The NSW government has been stuffing around "evaluating" the effectiveness of flashing lights at school zones since 2003/4. Guess what? The results are still "inconclusive" and further research is needed. FFS!! I defy anyone to explain to me how having orange flashing warning lights would not increase driver awareness and reduce average speeds.

Then you get speeding fines being given out on things like pupil fee days! WTF?? Surely it makes sense to make people aware that they are entering a school zone, and inform them whether or not speed restrictions are in place at that precise time. After all, its the safety of the children thats important, not the revenue........right?

slipper · 19-03-2006, 01:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FASTXR

Exactly!
The NSW government has been stuffing around "evaluating" the effectiveness of flashing lights at school zones since 2003/4. Guess what? The results are still "inconclusive" and further research is needed. FFS!! I defy anyone to explain to me how having orange flashing warning lights would not increase driver awareness and reduce average speeds.

What crap! Surely you can read traffic signs and can identity a school without lights? Do you need flashing stimuli every time you come across a stop sign? Anybody who does should immediately trade their licence for a frickin' bus pass!

A speed limit of 25km/h is OK by me at primary schools. You only have to put up with it for 400m or so and that adds only ~20 seconds to your trip. It is not about shifting responsibility to drivers, more about the fact that young kids just don't really get the big picture at that age. I certainly don't see the need to drop speeds below 40km/h at high schools. If you are of that age, it is time you started to understand the consequences of your actions.

Personally, I want to know why kids have to be driven to school every day? I used to walk or ride my pushbike! Any wonder the kids are so fat and the traffic so bad!