School Zones

Melz · 17-09-2005, 06:34 PM

This is really starting to annoy me.. can anyone read??? Well if you answer that you probably can!! I'm not a parent but this still worries me.

Whats the deal with people not slowing down to 40km/hr in school zones (between the hours of 8am-9.30am & 2.30-4 Mon-Fri). It frustrates the daylights out of me people are speeding up behind me, and getting abusive just cause im sitting on the designated speed limit. Its be kinda funny most of the impatient one either have kids in the backseat of their car or drive one of the three H cars (Hyundai, Honda or Holden).

I think it has been well and truly proven that this 20km/hr (in most areas) difference can mean the difference between life and death. Kids just don't realise what dangers there are running out onto the road.

This is my plea to everyone to please be wary of these school zones (i know its currently school holidays in Victoria)
You wouldn't want someone speeding through these zones as your child is walking to school.

xurbanx · 17-09-2005, 06:38 PM

mmm i have the same problem going from burwood hwy and dorset rd, its a school zone yet im sitting on 40km you have nearly everyone going about 50-60km =/

it kinda gets on my nerves how you can see then looking agitated .. then indicate and overtake and floor it then swirve back right in front of you bleh

aimzes · 17-09-2005, 06:43 PM

yeah it pi**es me off too. they sit on your a**e pushing you to go faster. the worst thing in the world would be hitting a little kid, so i sit on 40 with the left foot hovering over the brakes. you never know with kids they could just bolt onto the road... then your well and truly up s**t creek.

but ill admit a 40km/h school zone sign (usually hiding behind a tree) is not enough warning. ive been caught out.

Kryton · 17-09-2005, 08:00 PM

the better question is why arent ALL kids being taught about the dangers of the road? this should be done by parents and teachers. if this had happened like it used to when i was a kid, we wouldnt have/need 40kmh zones.
what the hell do you thinks going to happen if you run out on the road without looking? doesnt matter if your doing 60kmh or 10kmh.
whatever happened to personal responsibilty?

bailey04 · 17-09-2005, 08:09 PM

I think half the problem is people being unaware of the school zone rather than plan old stupidity.. Half the school zones in Central Queensland are marked with a sign hidden behind a damn overgrown tree. So you have no idea your speeding...

Best idea i have seen was in Airlie Beach were the school zone was marked with big orange warning signs and flashing lights on top of these signs.. During the signed times the lights would flash so you could see them and you would know it was a school zone..

The MaDDeSTMaN · 17-09-2005, 08:35 PM

I personally think there are two causes for this problem:
* People simply not knowing (just like there are still lots of people down here in Victoria who don't seem to realise that the laws regarding giving way to people turning right changed years ago to be the same as the rest of Australia) and
* People not paying attention and not seeing the 40km/h speed limit signs, or not realising what times those speed limits are effective.

I'm not trying to provide excuses, it really s me too, merely trying to perhaps shed some light on why it's happening.

Worst thing is, instead of the police "policing" this law, what is the typical response? Set up a revenue raising device, oops, I mean speed camera.

17-09-2005, 09:14 PM

ill be honest im one of those idiots who doesnt slow down at all school zones. Everytime i pass a local daycare, preschool, primary or high school i make sure i slow down...but in canberra they have the school zones around colleges too....and im sorry i am not gonna slow down n be on the look for a college kid who doesnt look before stepping foot on the road; But i do stop at the crossings if they get there first.

*runs and hides*

Transit Truck · 17-09-2005, 09:22 PM

I hate school zones.... When I was at school, there were no 40 km/h zones and everything was fine...

MO · 17-09-2005, 09:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by EL_Advanti

ill be honest im one of those idiots who doesnt slow down at all school zones. Everytime i pass a local daycare, preschool, primary or high school i make sure i slow down...but in canberra they have the school zones around colleges too....and im sorry i am not gonna slow down n be on the look for a college kid who doesnt look before stepping foot on the road; But i do stop at the crossings if they get there first.

*runs and hides*

And so you should run and hide the signs are there ...you know its a school of whatever type...if you are stupid enough to ignore the rules YOU don't deserve to hold a licence. If what you have posted is true then i for one would take great pleasure in kicking your **** till your nose bleeds for your stupidity.

17-09-2005, 09:31 PM

john i live in canberra...so anytime you come down from QLD, ill take you up on your offer, and see how we go...u can save your holier than thou attitue for someone else....it was a freaking joke..is it hard for you to walk with ur head so far up ur ****....

MrQuan · 17-09-2005, 09:32 PM

I used to live near a school in Adelaide. One day they made my entire street a 40 zone all the time! That really p!ssed me off because the street was a huge horseshoe shape with lots of streets in the middle, I was on one side and the scholl was all the way on the other side.... 40ks my ar$e

MrQuan · 17-09-2005, 09:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by John McMaster

And so you should run and hide the signs are there ...you know its a school of whatever type...if you are stupid enough to ignore the rules YOU don't deserve to hold a licence. If what you have posted is true then i for one would take great pleasure in kicking your **** till your nose bleeds for your stupidity.

Whoa - chill out dude.

17-09-2005, 09:48 PM

double post

T_Terror · 17-09-2005, 10:42 PM

I slow down according to the conditions.

While its possible that a life or two may have been saved with the introduction of the school zone limits, i never saw what research these laws were based on.

People are too quick to blindly accept ridiculous legislation (im not refering in particular ot the school zones) all in the name of "safety".

Funny how safety carries alot of potential for bringing in more revenue for the state gov.

Keepleft · 17-09-2005, 11:00 PM

Melz wrote: "Whats the deal with people not slowing down to 40km/hr in school zones (between the hours of 8am-9.30am & 2.30-4 Mon-Fri)".

Now lets change the ZONE CATEGORY vis:-

"Whats the deal with people not slowing down to 10km/hr in "Shared Zones" (applicable all hours)".

NB-a shared zone is a combination pedestrian/vehicle zone.

"It frustrates the daylights out of me people are speeding up behind me, and getting abusive just cause im sitting on the designated 10km/h speed limit".

"I think it has been well and truly proven that this 50km/hr (in most areas) difference can mean the difference between life and death. Pedestrians just don't realise what dangers there are running out onto the road".

"This is my plea to everyone to please be wary of these shared zones (I didn't know its currently school holidays in Victoria). You wouldn't want someone speeding through these zones as your child is walking to or from the shop".

Folks, I guess 'speeding' only applies to exceeding the posted speed limit!! Sheesh.

XLS99 Ute man · 18-09-2005, 12:07 AM

its totally ed going 40kms in peak hour where no deaths or danger have ever acured

XLS99 Ute man · 18-09-2005, 12:08 AM

might aswell drive through the 40kms with my handbrake up..

XLS99 Ute man · 18-09-2005, 12:09 AM

aye i better shut up now the booze iz talkin

MITCHAY · 18-09-2005, 12:45 AM

I think that maybe time speciffic zones are better. Say in the morning when kids are comming to school and when they are leaving. I dont know about elsewhere but this 40km/h is in force from 8-4 in ACT.

The only students allowed to leave the school at lunch is college students so whats the need for an all day restriction? And personally I reckon a college student is big and ugly enough to know when its safe to cross the road.

T_Terror · 18-09-2005, 12:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by XLS99 Ute man

aye i better shut up now the booze iz talkin

lol same

XLS99 Ute man · 18-09-2005, 01:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by T_Terror

lol same

i reckon if u wanna slow down to 40 stay in the focking slow lane... not the overtaking lane thats the only time people me

bindi · 18-09-2005, 07:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MITCHAY

I dont know about elsewhere but this 40km/h is in force from 8-4 in ACT... And personally I reckon a college student is big and ugly enough to know when its safe to cross the road.

8-4? You're kidding! Holy sheet. Agreed, college students do know better.

We have it here in NSW like Vic - 8-9.30 in the morning, and 2.30-4 in the arvo.

Problem with that? My kids' school finishes at 2.25PM. They had changed the signs to suit it, so the school zone was from 2-3. Some kid graffitied one of the signs, they replaced it at the beginning of the year to a "normal" time sign. So one side of the road said 2-3, the other said 2.30-4... Last week they changed all the signs to the "normal" hours?!

So ppl are speeding through at 2.26pm when kids are on the crossing (nobody even does 50kph there - it's always 60 and over cos of the long stretch of road - I even saw a cop speeding through... I want a radar gun!)

I was parked at the front of the school about 2.15pm when a little kindy kid was standing at the side of the road. I was wondering what he was doing, being out so early, but it looked like he was waiting for a car and I assumed his mum was coming to pick him up or something.

He got sick of waiting, walked back a bit, then ran FULL ON across the road without looking (not at the crossing either). TG the car he ran in front of was doing 40 and stopped in time. There would have been no chance of stopping if he was going the speed that MOST ppl go when they drive through there. My heart was in my mouth and some weird noise came from my lips as I imagined this kid all splattered on the tar. He didn't stop, just ran off home.

I went into the school and found the teacher. It turned out that the little guy had gotten a really good library book that day and had wanted to go home and read it. The teacher had said no naturally. He later asked to go to the toilet, and instead he packed up his bag and took himself home.

Flashing lights are a great idea. Also if the hours are different to the "norm", they should be in RED writing.

And cops should police it. They just dgaf in our part of NSW...

According to our state government, kids can ride their bikes to school legally at age 10. This is because medically and scientifically, they have developed the road sense and depth perception to cope with it. So why have school zones around high schools?

**Papa Smurf** · 18-09-2005, 08:24 AM

Same thing happens in and around where I live too.

The street where I live is almost an unofficial drag strip for IDIOTS. Every arvo they hoon up and down the street and the only thing that STUPID Fairfield council could do was to put 8' wide flower boxes in the street. :( We have 2 schools, 1 PRE School and a PARK in the street. :( The speed signs are 60klms.

XplosiveR6 · 18-09-2005, 09:46 AM

seriously how much time does going down to 40km/h hour take off your preciouse life 1min max, common its not that hard. thing is most of the time you catch up to these hoons at the next traffic lights anyway, so most of the time speeding saves to time at all

XplosiveR6 · 18-09-2005, 09:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by XLS99 Ute man

i reckon if u wanna slow down to 40 stay in the focking slow lane... not the overtaking lane thats the only time people me

why is it so hard to do the speed limit? maby one day this person in front of you stoping you from speeding may save you from running over a kid

NIGHTHAWK · 18-09-2005, 09:52 AM

We are the responsible adults behind the wheel of a machine that has the potential to maim, hurt or kill someone, and in this case schoolkids. We are told via the media, newspapers, friends and the signs posted as to what speed is legal through a school zone. How hard is it to take your heavy foot off the pedal for as long as it takes to drive 100 metres? Ignorance is no excuse for the law.

NIGHTHAWK · 18-09-2005, 09:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by XLS99 Ute man

might aswell drive through the 40kms with my handbrake up..

If that is what it takes to save lives.

18-09-2005, 10:06 AM

Oh yeah btw guys, 40kmh speed limit applies on schools having a pupil free day... Its to cater for the mindless teachers who may happen to wander onto the road...

NIGHTHAWK · 18-09-2005, 10:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by XLS99 Ute man

i reckon if u wanna slow down to 40 stay in the focking slow lane... not the overtaking lane thats the only time people me

I did not realise that there were overtaking lanes in school zones?

merlin · 18-09-2005, 11:52 AM

It's not just people using the excuse "oh i didnt know it is a school zone the sign is too small"

I ride down Epping road on my way home and it is an 80km/h zone. There is a school zone towards the end of it with these VERY BIG orange flashing lights and big signs- no one is in any doubt what they mean - 40km/h....

So I will usually be in the T3 (transit) lane (legally i might add), and slow down and do 40. Unfortunatly only about 50% of the other vehicles do the same so you have the ridiculous situation of half the traffic doing 40 and the other half doing double your speed at 80, which is obviously pretty dangerous. Not to mention the ar$e wipes who tailgate me in the T3 lane as i am doing 40 through the school zone with 1 person in their car....

The thing is doing 80 in a 40 zone is an automatic suspension of license so i dont know what these nitwits are doing....you'd think for a 100m length of zone they could slow down and at least keep their license?