School zones, speed and at what times?

[nzbiker86]

Hey there

I am finding mixed articles about this. I have my test coming up soon and I usually ride at 40kph outside of a school and at 20kph when passing a parked school bus? Does this sound correct?

Cheers

[Murray]

Yes it does

[nzbiker86]

Thanks Murray. School Zone rule applies between 9 - 3?

[SPman]

Here in WA, it's 7.30-9am and 2.30 - 4.30 pm.

[rastuscat]

Good God, here we go again.

The speed limit outside a school is whatever it is normally, unless there is a specific speed limit based on times that are clearly displayed, or one of those posh flashing 40 kmh signs. There's no mystery to it, it's as posted.

The only thing that changes is the tolerance applied by the Police. It's 10 kmh per usual, but it drops to 4 kmh duriong the school hours.

See the times here

https://www.police.govt.nz/service/road/speed-kills-kids.html

On your test, don't exceed the speed limit, and you'll not have an issue. For heavens sake, don't slow to 40 kmh outside a school in a 70 kmh area, unless it's posted as such. Show caution, but slow to 40 unnecessarily and all you'll do it piss people off and fail.

Example of a sign is here

http://www.ccc.govt.nz/cityleisure/gettingaround/saferroutestoschool/roadsafety/variablespeedlimits.aspx

Re the school bus, ya gotta slow to 20 going past a school bus that is setting down or picking munchkins up, provided it displays a school sign.

Easy. But often misunderstood.

[Gremlin]

What the cat said...

The speed limit is the speed limit, and only changes if notified (flashing signs etc). Some schools for example do not have the boards, so therefore the standard limit applies (highly unlikely you'd achieve that anyway at suburban schools in Auckland).

Yes, 20kph passing school buses.

[FJRider]

Yes, 20kph passing school buses.

And yes even on open road areas ... Pass a school bus in the act of dropping off/ picking up passengers ... at your usual 100 km/hr ... and a nice policeman may give you 28 days of walking to consider your foolishness ...

With possibly an invitation to meet with a judge.

[oneofsix]

And yes even on open road areas ... Pass a school bus in the act of dropping off/ picking up passengers ... at your usual 100 km/hr ... and a nice policeman may give you 28 days of walking to consider your foolishness ...

With possibly an invitation to meet with a judge.

The nice peoples of Nelson (http://www.stuff.co.nz/nelson-mail/news/7652546/Stopped-school-bus-sting-traps-98-per-cent-of-drivers) have been discovering it doesn't have to have children, if it has the school signs and is stopped then 20kms


Last Tuesday police parked a school bus on Main Rd Stoke, Tahunanui and Richmond, with the distinctive yellow School Bus signs displayed. They then monitored passing traffic, stopping and talking with any drivers who exceeded the 20kmh speed limit

Now the :Police: wouldn't stop drivers and warn them they had done wrong if they hadn't and Fairfax media wouldn't get something as simple to check as that wrong - would they? :scratch:


School bus signs (http://www.nzta.govt.nz/resources/roadcode/about-limits/speed-limits.html#school)

The signs below will be displayed on school buses. If a school bus has stopped to let children on or off, you must slow down and drive at 20km/h or less until you are well past the bus, no matter what direction you are coming from.

270625
School bus signs

Note: you may also see ‘Kura’, the Māori word for school, on a bus.

So FJRider is right and the news report gives the wrong spin. Why can't you trust these peoples any more?

[FJRider]

So FJRider is right and the news report gives the wrong spin. Why can't you trust these peoples any more?

If those drivers stopped had said they could see the bus was not picking up or setting down school children ... the police could do nothing. As I understand ... only warnings were given in Nelson.

[oneofsix]

If those drivers stopped had said they could see the bus was not picking up or setting down school children ... the police could do nothing. As I understand ... only warnings were given in Nelson.

True, and I agree most drivers (98% FFS) wouldn't know what speed to pass a school bus stopped for kids at but the article does give the impression that any bus with the school sign has to be passed at 20k when it is stopped. Actually apart from the reporting by the wonderful media I think the police effort is worthy of one of Rustus's good will public education events. :niceone:

[Ocean1]

Easy. But often misunderstood.

It ain't made any easier by bloody schools like one of my locals that has signs up saying "school zone, slow down". This in an 80k rural main road. So what the fuck are we supposed to make of that?

[FJRider]

True, and I agree most drivers (98% FFS) wouldn't know what speed to pass a school bus stopped for kids at but the article does give the impression that any bus with the school sign has to be passed at 20k when it is stopped. Actually apart from the reporting by the wonderful media I think the police effort is worthy of one of Rustus's good will public education events. :niceone:

Most of THOSE drivers would learn fast. The police action then was for publicity on the school bus laws ... the newspaper had another agenda ... but served the same purpose in the end.

[FJRider]

It ain't made any easier by bloody schools like one of my locals that has signs up saying "school zone, slow down". This in an 80k rural main road. So what the fuck are we supposed to make of that?

Slow down to 80 km/hr of course ... and look out for children (in case you miss one)

[oneofsix]

It ain't made any easier by bloody schools like one of my locals that has signs up saying "school zone, slow down". This in an 80k rural main road. So what the fuck are we supposed to make of that?

Saw what I thought was a good answer to that down Greymouth a few year back. South of Greymouth is a school in a 70k zone (I think) but it had those light signs to lower the limit to 50k at school in and out times. Means that none of this are there sports on or is it school hols etc, the sign made it clear when the lower limit applied. Better use for those sign than on the motorway where they should only be advisary and not regulatory but that's off topic.

[Gremlin]

It ain't made any easier by bloody schools like one of my locals that has signs up saying "school zone, slow down". This in an 80k rural main road. So what the fuck are we supposed to make of that?
Likely a sign erected by the school (or community). The sign is probably a request and has no enforcement behind it.

[Berries]

I remember seeing quite a few "Slow. Children." signs when I lived in Wellington. I never thought it was related to speeds though, just the spazoid kids.

[sootie]

My brother once collected a woman who stepped out between two parked cars.
The police totally exonerated him from all blame, but he was still shaking like a leaf for two days. He thought he had killed the woman who was in hospital at that time. Fortunately she did in fact make a full recovery & it did not take too long. Since then I have watched several people die as a result of car crashes etc.

My point here is that collecting a pedestrian, including a kid is a very real possibility for all of us. I don't always obey the letter of the law, but it is there for a reason, and so are traffic warnings. Do any of you really want to go to bed tonight knowing that you have killed or maimed somebody, whoever is at fault? I don't, and I am not sure I want to jest too much about this one because it could happen.

Have you watched a few injured people die yet? Taking another life even by accident may ruin yours. I have watched this happen to others & come a bit close to it myself. Please think about all this & act responsibly.
[Not my favourite topic this]

[Berries]

My point here is that collecting a pedestrian, including a kid is a very real possibility for all of us. I don't always obey the letter of the law, but it is there for a reason, and so are traffic warnings. Do any of you really want to go to bed tonight knowing that you have killed or maimed somebody, whoever is at fault? I don't, and I am not sure I want to jest too much about this one because it could happen.
You need to take your serious hat off. The OP was seeking clarification over something which is a good thing because they were wrong.

[sootie]

You need to take your serious hat off. The OP was seeking clarification over something which is a good thing because they were wrong.

Maybe, but if people are paying for & erecting signs, what happened to cause that?
Probably the wrong thread for me Berries! Shall back on out of here. :) :)

[Gremlin]

My point here is that collecting a pedestrian, including a kid is a very real possibility for all of us. I don't always obey the letter of the law, but it is there for a reason, and so are traffic warnings. Do any of you really want to go to bed tonight knowing that you have killed or maimed somebody, whoever is at fault? I don't, and I am not sure I want to jest too much about this one because it could happen.
Taking it a bit off topic... but I presume you don't ride in the Auckland CBD... I swear to god there are tons of pedestrians that WANT to be collected. Playing with your [insert electronic toy] and stepping onto the road without looking? Dawdling on the road and not looking for traffic?

/rant

[Jizah]

The only thing that changes is the tolerance applied by the Police. It's 10 kmh per usual, but it drops to 4 kmh duriong the school hours.

See the times here

https://www.police.govt.nz/service/road/speed-kills-kids.html



I just want to add, unless my girlfriend is an exception, you will get ticketed if you are doing 54km/h, not 55km/h like that link might lead you to believe. This is in a 50km/h school zone of course.

[rastuscat]

I just want to add, unless my girlfriend is an exception, you will get ticketed if you are doing 54km/h, not 55km/h like that link might lead you to believe. This is in a 50km/h school zone of course.

The overriding policy has always been that the speed limit is the speed limit. Warnings are entirely at the discretion of the officer dealing with the infringement.

The stated tolerances are always a guideline. To expect a tolerance is dancing with fate.

I have no idea of the circumstances in which the ticket for 54 was written, so can't comment on that.

[Jizah]

The overriding policy has always been that the speed limit is the speed limit. Warnings are entirely at the discretion of the officer dealing with the infringement.

The stated tolerances are always a guideline. To expect a tolerance is dancing with fate.

I have no idea of the circumstances in which the ticket for 54 was written, so can't comment on that.

It was from a speed camera van in Lower Hutt. I probably should have mentioned that.

[FJRider]

The overriding policy has always been that the speed limit is the speed limit. Warnings are entirely at the discretion of the officer dealing with the infringement.

The stated tolerances are always a guideline. To expect a tolerance is dancing with fate.

I have no idea of the circumstances in which the ticket for 54 was written, so can't comment on that.

I got one for 103 ... he was in a generous mood. I was doing 140+ ... <_<