MP Michael Ferguson and Sergeant Ben Kromkamp discuss the importance of respecting school zone speed limits. Video by Aaron Smith (5/2/24)
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00:00 As drivers we need to start slowing down and we need to start paying attention in and around school areas.
00:06 For the last couple of months we've had off, but now the speed limits around school zones, 40km/h, comes back into place as of this week as kids return to school.
00:16 And as has already been mentioned, you need to slow down to 40km/h if you're approaching a bus that has their lights activated.
00:23 We will be out this week making sure people do the right thing, particularly around school zone areas.
00:31 You need to drive to the conditions. 40 might be too fast in some situations.
00:35 You might need to slow down in poor light or poor weather or in a street that's got lots of activity around.
00:41 So I think we've got a great duty of care to our kids.
00:44 Sadly, prior to 2014 there were two children's lives lost around schools.
00:51 And in the last six years, something like 18-19, incidents where children have come into contact with vehicles.
00:58 Some have needed first aid, others have needed to be hospitalised.
01:01 Children, as their brains are still developing, they don't always have the sort of knowledge or road sense that we might like them to, particularly very small children.
01:11 It's a pretty simple message and as part of the advertising we're saying to the community,
01:16 don't put yourself in the situation where you one day will say, "I just didn't have enough time to slow down."
01:22 Bringing down the speed limit, bringing down the speed of our driving behaviour,
01:27 actually gives us a lot more stopping distance, a lot more ability to see a child running out in front of us.
01:33 [Silence]