Western BOP Police campaign to target driving around schools next week

Parents will probably sigh with relief as school kicks off again next week, but those first couple of weeks back at school, particularly for primary school children, can be a risky time.

Senior Sergeant Ian Campion says a significant number of children will still be in holiday mode when they go back to school, and are often excited by the thought of catching up with old friends again. In addition there are a number of new entrants unfamiliar with their surroundings. They can be easily distracted and are very unpredictable which makes them vulnerable in a busy traffic environment.

Parents delivering and picking up children who are trying to get back into a routine can also compound the congestion and need to do their bit by being considerate, ensuring seat belts or child restraints are used correctly and they park considerately and legally to reduce risk.

Senior Sergeant Campion says with the beautiful weather we are experiencing, parents should be taking advantage of the Walking School Buses in operation at numerous schools, which in turn reduces congestion outside schools. Parents and care givers also need to follow the advice of volunteers and teachers supervising parking and drop off and pick up zones at schools.

"They do a fantastic job in improving safety for your children but sadly they are often abused or ignored."

Senior Sergeant Campion says an operation is to be held in the Western Bay of Plenty Police Area targeting speed around schools, kindergartens and play centres in line with the National "Speed Kills Kids Programme".

The operation will run from Tuesday 2 February to Friday 12 February and Police will issue speeding infringement notices to any driver detected driving at 5km/h or more above the posted speed limit within 250 metres on either side of any school boundary. Demerit Points will also accrue for any speed offence.

All drivers are reminded to look out for the new 40km/h School Zone Speed Limit signs installed at Ötümoetai, Welcome Bay and Greenpark Primary Schools. A 40Km/h speed limit past these schools applies when the signs are illuminated.

Senior Sergeant Campion says the challenge is for drivers passing school zones to slow down to the speed limit or below, as Police will use static speed cameras and other speed detection equipment to target excessive speed to reduce the risk to children and ensure that they do not lose their lives needlessly doing something as ordinary as going to school.

Drivers not only need to take special care around school zones but on pedestrian crossings in the vicinity of schools and comply with school patrol crossing signs but also slow down to 20km/h when passing stationary school buses when students are getting on and off.

The key risk times are between 7.30 am - 9am and 2.30pm - 4.00pm week days and the most vulnerable age group is between five and nine years, with more than 90% of pedestrian casualties occurring on urban roads with a speed limit of 70km/h or less. Over the period 2004-2008 the highest number of child pedestrians were injured between 2-4pm and the third highest risk time was 8-10am.

When driving at 50 km/h, by the time you react to an unexpected event and apply the brakes you will have travelled a further 20 metres, and it will take you a total of 41 metres to stop, that's nearly two cricket pitches or nearly half a football field.

A healthy adult struck at 50 km/h has about a 40% chance of being killed - for a child, the odds are much worse. In the urban environment, a child struck by a vehicle travelling at 60 km/hour has only a 15% chance of survival. When the impact speed is reduced to 50 km/h, the chance of survival increases to 55% so it’s a no brainer - just slow down.

In addition to speed, inconsiderate driver behaviour and illegal parking near schools is also a major concern for all schools as it posses a serious risk to children and unless adults can set a good example for children, infringement notices will be issued.