Speed around schools (RIP)

[BASS-TREBLE]

I know theres a hell of a lot of RIP threads but this is more to do with speeds around schools.

This morning around 8am a girl was hit by a truck just outside of our school, I won't say her name but I am sure it will be on the news.
Teachers did all they could, emergency services turned up and tried but everybody was soon notified that she had passed away, either in the ambulance or hospital.

The young girl was in form 3, so around 13/14 (I'm in 5th form) and a large number of students didn't attend the exams as the option to have a rest outside the Whare was there. I have never experienced such a quiet day at school since everybody was shocked.

The accident occurred as she was crossing the road to get to school, she didn't look enough and a truck was there at the wrong time.

I know this has nothing to do with bikers but even though the speed limit was 70kmh (ridiculus) it doesn't been you can do that speed. The law says something like 50kmh or even 30 kmh but people think that since we are a high school it doesn't need to be respected.

Please guys keep the speed down.

Thanks
B-T

edit: School is Mount Maunganui college

[sunhuntin]

good post mate. a death that shouldnt have happened. condolences to you and your school. i only hope her death is not in vain. :(

i know what you mean about the 70k limit... there is a primary school here located on a 70k country road.
the school and local council have been begging for speed reductions during the peak times, and been knocked back time and time again.
the school has off road parking, but getting in and out is dangerous, and the kids have no option to walk or bike, despite there being a footpath on the other side of the road. its just not safe for them.

[CookMySock]

oh fuck 8-(

[Cajun]

yes i read about this news earlyer

a logging truck cliped a young girl walking to school, truck never stoped (might have not even known tho that hit someone)

[MSTRS]

Most? dairy cow crossings are now under-road. At least on the busier roads. Are cows more important than children?

[sinfull]

Most? dairy cow crossings are now under-road. At least on the busier roads. Are cows more important than children?

If kids started crapping on the road as they crossed, the lifestylers (Much the same as the ones that move near farms and dont like driving through shit) might get up in arms and have something done about it !
In other words keeping crap off your muffler is more important than our kids !

[McDuck]

10 bucks says she was ither texting or had the ipod up way high.

[yungatart]

That is very sad! My niece is form 3 at Te Puke High....
RIP young lady.

[PrincessBandit]

Speed zone is 70 outside Ripper Roo92's high school and I'm waiting for the day we have the same thing happen. I've also seen students ducking and weaving their way through traffic and it gives me the heeby jeebies. With things like this it is sad to say it's only a matter of time...

[EJK]

10 bucks says she was ither texting or had the ipod up way high.

My $20 says that the truck driver was texting or had the radio up way high

Anyway, this news does really... disgusts me...

[McDuck]

Anyway, this news does really... disgusts me...

I agree it is very sad, and it is outright in the 'shouldn't have happened at any time or place' category.

The reason why i say what i said is because i have seen at high school people almost get taken out by vans and trucks because of this. And if me pissing people off with a generalization saves a life it is worth it.

[PrincessBandit]

I agree it is very sad, and it is outright in the 'shouldn't have happened at any time or place' category.

The reason why i say what i said is because i have seen at high school people almost get taken out by vans and trucks because of this. And if me pissing people off with a generalization saves a life it is worth it.

Yeah, I was actually discussing this with my 18 year old daughter just before and she pointed out the number of students she sees blatantly walking out onto the road and dawdling across, seemingly oblivious to whatever is happening in their immediate vicinity. Also, they do it ignoring a pedestrian crossing because it means they might have to walk an extra 20m up the road to get to it.
I've had countless experiences on the road of waiting to turn left, (in my car) and having high school students (in their endless stream) just walk out in front of me looking smugly down their noses as if they have right of way on the road as well as on the footpaths. Their 'need' to cross the road RIGHT NOW gets very annoying when they all do it, not stopping to think that the car has been waiting for some time now.....

[Slingshot]

This news is very sad.


Most? dairy cow crossings are now under-road. At least on the busier roads. Are cows more important than children?
Would you prefer to wait while a column of cattle trudged their way across the road, possibly taking 10 minutes or more?
To me it's obvious why cattle crossings are under the road, maybe it's not obvious to everyone.

I'm not sure about this school, but I'm pretty sure all schools around my area have pedestrian crossings either right at the entrance or near by.

If kids started crapping on the road as they crossed, the lifestylers (Much the same as the ones that move near farms and dont like driving through shit) might get up in arms and have something done about it !
In other words keeping crap off your muffler is more important than our kids !Obviously not obvious to everyone

[TKDSKIP]

10 bucks says she was ither texting or had the ipod up way high.


How about you dont know shit, but thanks for the comment anyway. While its not a direct atack on a girl who has died on her way to school its close. Well done loser.

[Slingshot]

How about you dont know shit, but thanks for the comment anyway. While its not a direct atack on a girl who has died on her way to school its close. Well done loser.

Speculation is never helpful in these types of threads.

[sinfull]

This news is very sad.


Would you prefer to wait while a column of cattle trudged their way across the road, possibly taking 10 minutes or more?
To me it's obvious why cattle crossings are under the road, maybe it's not obvious to everyone.

I'm not sure about this school, but I'm pretty sure all schools around my area have pedestrian crossings either right at the entrance or near by.
Obviously not obvious to everyone

And some are just trolls, who really dont know (yuppy) If schools were to have such underpasses or overpasses These problems would go away !

I was on a farm (Hayseed jokes here) where the property owner was forced to put in an underpass, by neighbours petitioning the council ! Now this road is only used by locals ! Same locals who started a petition when i killed a beast and strung it up on an A frame (they had two shows with that one as it was a rural zoning) Lifestylers, Yuppys !!! Sure they didn't like to wait the 5 min it took to move the cows accross, or the extra 5 it took took wash the shit off ! but it was the SHIT, the shit that stuck to their muffler and stunk the car out, cause they couldn't be bothered taking the other exit, as it would add another 2 min to the time it took to drive to work haha different from the shit thats ozzing from the mouth of one who knows it all huh !!

I say again it takes shit to happen b4 someone does something about it and yes shit has happened ! Sad that a young girl has to die aye !

SHIT!

[Slingshot]

And some are just trolls, who really dont know (yuppy) If schools were to have such underpasses or overpasses These problems would go away !


Trolling I was not! And yes, I now live in the city but that doesn't make me a yuppy.

And I disagreed, if schools had over/under passes the problem would still exist. Fairly recently a person was killed crossing railway tracks when there was a pedestrian bridge within 100(ish) meters.

Maybe there should be over/under passes installed down the length of Lambton Quay, there are often people (adults) being hit by traffic down there.

[sinfull]

Trolling I was not! And yes, I now live in the city but that doesn't make me a yuppy.

And I disagreed, if schools had over/under passes the problem would still exist. Fairly recently a person was killed crossing railway tracks when there was a pedestrian bridge within 100(ish) meters.

Maybe there should be over/under passes installed down the length of Lambton Quay, there are often people (adults) being hit by traffic down there.

Ok here's the question then Slingshot ! Why aren't there under/overpasses there ?
My opinon would be the cost is cheaper to throw lights all the way along the stretch and hold up traffic ! Your typical NZ tempory fix because transit don't want to spend the money !

Kids are a different matter, sounds like that stretch is dodgy as, with a 70 k limit and they dont want to lower it as it will hold up traffic too much pfffft ! Easy answer, overbridge (i say this without seeing the place) and barrier fences to stop the odd stray crossing the road (Back to the shit)
Or perhaps stop the pick up and set downs on the opposite side of the road, where she was dropped by her older brother (poor bugger saw the whole thing)

[Dave Lobster]

If there was a bridge or an overpass, how many children would use it? Just the thin ones, or the lazy ones too?

[glice]

did they find out who the driver was.
I have two schools on my road and its not just the students who can be silliy when using the road, alot of parents need to wise up aswell.

[McDuck]

Fairly recently a person was killed crossing railway tracks when there was a pedestrian bridge within 100(ish) meters.

Maybe there should be over/under passes installed down the length of Lambton Quay, there are often people (adults) being hit by traffic down there.

For a country that teaches evolution in schools we dont seem to let it do much. Sure put the safety there for the smart people to use but let the dumb find their own way.







I know i am digging a hole here, i am not trolling. Two of my close friends were also good friends with a girl in the EBOP a few years who failed to take a corner dew to texting while driving and got killed in the resulting impact. Everybody was all nice and careful then and teens are still doing that sort of dumb shit.

[Deano]

If HVHS students and the way they cross Woburn Road is any indication, it's a miracle that more kids aren't hit by vehicles.

10m to a pedestrian crossing seems too far to walk for most.

And being young and invincible, they will always beat the car eh ? Yeah right.

TV3 news disappointed me with their headliner "hit and run killer", then the Police say that the driver may not have been aware that they had hit anyone. Talk about ramping it up.

[MSTRS]

If HVHS students and the way they cross Woburn Road is any indication, it's a miracle that more kids aren't hit by vehicles.

10m to a pedestrian crossing seems too far to walk for most.

And being young and invincible, they will always beat the car eh ? Yeah right.

TV3 news disappointed me with their headliner "hit and run killer", then the Police say that the driver may not have been aware that they had hit anyone. Talk about ramping it up.
Hey! I went there. Explains a lot, I guess....
Yeah, we all know kids do dumb shit, often deliberately. Ask them why and they can't/won't tell you. Who knows what led to this poor girl's demise...unlikely she was playing chicken like some do, perhaps she was just distracted at the wrong time.
Reports say she was 'clipped' by the truck. That's very different to being 'run down'. The truck/driver still not found...CCTV at the port is being used to try and identify. The driver probably didn't know at the time what happened, but with the publicity around this, he must by now so why hasn't he come forward? Could it be because he is terrified at what will happen to him? Shame that, if so, cos couldn't be worse than the girl's fate.

[BiK3RChiK]

It's still possible the driver doesn't know it was him, even with all the publicity! This road is the major route to the port, and is the logging truck highway from the Eastern Bay of Plenty. That road is probably one of the busiest stretches of road in the area at that time of the morning.

What a terrible tragedy...

[Morcs]

Truck drivers are shocking like that.

Whenever Ive been down country, going through the small town dotted here and there, trucks simply dont slow down at all.

[Trudes]

I drive past several schools everyday and am always extra careful just knowing what kids are like, they often don't think. They may cross the same piece of road everyday and become complacent, it's a habit, they step out then boom today they weren't so lucky that there was nothing coming.
See it happen all the time, had some dozy kid (14 or 15 yrs), step out on the road just in front of me the other day, she was looking in the opposite direction and got a hell of a fright when she saw me and quickly backed up. I remember being that age and feeling a little invincible, however, being a country kid I think I was even more aware of vehicles and just fast 100kmph on the open road looks like when a truck is bearing down on you.
It's not just the speed around schools but also the stupid driving, often by parents collecting their kids, too friggin lazy to park up the road a little and walk to the school, instead they try and park as close as possible, even if this means putting other people's kids at danger as they back their cars all over the pedestrian crossing outside the school (yes, I have rung the cops about the dopey bitch I see doing this twice a day every school day!!:angry2:)
We all need to just wise up a bit. Teach your kids good road skills and a healthy respect for traffic and drivers need to slow down, watch the road and footpaths and think when approaching schools. I'm buggered if I want to explain to some distraught parents that I just ran their precious kid over because I happened to be texting someone while I was driving! Rant over.:sweatdrop Oh and RIP.

[Marmoot]

Teach your kids good road skills and a healthy respect for traffic and drivers need to slow down, watch the road and footpaths and think when approaching schools.

+1 on this.

This country has gone to the dogs that want everyone to drone around foolproofly.
Guess what, there are always smart idiots that can fool any foolproof methods.
When will we as society takes value to personal responsibility?

Teaching kids and everyone else how to cross the road properly and safely may reduce the risk of this happening, regardless of whether this poor girl was crossing recklessly or not. If it was not this girl, then there will be 10 others who may fall victim to reckless-crossing accident anyway.
I am sick and tired of watching people stepping out in front of a moving car when the crossing lights are red. They expect cars to stop when it's red, so why do peds don't stop when ped lights are red?

In Singapore, if your kids run across the road recklessly and got hit by a car, you may be sued for negligence and the car driver may walk away freely. That IS a lesson in personal responsibility!

[Trudes]

+1 on this.

This country has gone to the dogs that want everyone to drone around foolproofly.
Guess what, there are always smart idiots that can fool any foolproof methods.
When will we as society takes value to personal responsibility?

Teaching kids and everyone else how to cross the road properly and safely may reduce the risk of this happening, regardless of whether this poor girl was crossing recklessly or not. If it was not this girl, then there will be 10 others who may fall victim to reckless-crossing accident anyway.
I am sick and tired of watching people stepping out in front of a moving car when the crossing lights are red. They expect cars to stop when it's red, so why do peds don't stop when ped lights are red?

In Singapore, if your kids run across the road recklessly and got hit by a car, you may be sued for negligence and the car driver may walk away freely. That IS a lesson in personal responsibility!

Exactly!!
I have to consider stuff like this everyday. I'm a nanny, so I am intrusted with the care of other people's children, which I believe is a huge responsibility and I take it on with the knowledge that if anything happens to those kids when in my care I will not get any sympathy like a parent would if the same thing happened in their care, I'd probably never be able to work in childcare again or/and go to jail.
It somewhat falls under the neglect umbrella in my mind, however, in saying that, we can't always control what kids do when we're not watching them (ie when they're walking to school), the best we can do is educate and prepare them for the "what ifs".
I must get off the soap box!

[Marmoot]

the best we can do is educate and prepare them for the "what ifs".

And, sadly, most parents nowadays would slag you for educating their children because it (1) infringes on their family teritory, (2) imposes the children to things they do not like, (3) you might smack them, and (4) raising your voice to the children is violent and blasphemical.

Most parents nowadays spoil their kids and don't even know how to educate.

Sue Bradford is a good example.

[Zookey]

For all us Northern pig islanders: down in the Mainland namely Nelson,there is a 40Ks speed limit and from Wakefield into Richmond there is school, colleges ,schools and it goes on for miles and then you have all the women tank drivers doing 30 ,one can hardly keep the bike upright ,but there should be a blanket speed limit past all schools but oh! too hard but lets put up a speed camera on an open highway, must think of Cullens coffers.:Oi:

[R6_kid]

Something tells me that a lower speed wouldnt have helped much - a logging truck 30-40kmh still has f*** load of momentum.

Condolences to those who knew the girl, I do hope it brings people to the realisation that they need to be more careful crossing the road.

Just a couple of weeks ago I drove past an accident where a 60yo woman had been killed after being hit by a bus as she crossed the road outside a school - less than 40m in either direction to traffic lights with pedestrian crossings.

The fact that the truck driver 'doesnt know that it happened' would suggest that she was not in clear view from the drivers cab, or that the driver wasn't paying attention, or that they simply dont want to get found out. But i wasn't there to see it so I can't comment.

I'm certainly more careful crossing the road when I walk home from work.

[BM-GS]

It's not just the road-crossers who need to wake up. I was waiting at a school crossing with my 2 (about 2 and 4.5 at tht time) admittedly on a weekend and was just congratulating #1 son for waiting back from the crossing, not just going across, as he'd got there a bit ahead of us (this is positive re-enforcement, not well done for running off ahead), and I was telling him that it was important to wait for me or his mum, cos cars don't always see small people. We all straightened up and stepped to the edge of the kerb ready to cross, looked both ways and waited for the approaching car to slow down, which he totally failed to do. NEVER assume - I don't think he even looked up. I then told the sprogs that sometimes they don't see big people either! We waited til there was nothing coming before crossing. This was opposite a school, daylight, 50km/h limit, etc.

How can you not see 3 people waiting at a crossing? How can you get a licence without reading that bit of the Code?

I once pushed the button at some lights, then crossed before they turned as it was clear. As I reached the central island (4-lane road) the beeps started, then there was a screech of tyres and a crunch as a skip-truck rear-ended the stopped car in front and pushed it right across the crossing. NEVER ASSUME! I'd have been toast if I'd waited for the beeps & stepped out. Now I look first as well.

In a previous life as a frequent driver in the Auckland CBD I was continually amazed by the number of pedestrians who don't think a red man means don't cross. At one junction you got 3 cars through if you were all awake and the way was clear, so not getting through could mean you wait for the next cycle. Loud revs and a lurch often cleared people out of the way, but I got bored in the end. I asked my employer for one of those bitchin' mine-clearance tanks, with the whirly-chain flail on the front, but they said no.

Maybe people need to understand that the speed limit is there for a reason: driveways, kids, traffic volumes, etc. If they can have peak-hours 40km/h limits outside suburban schools, why not the ones where the normal limit is higher?

Some people ARE f*$kwits, but everybody makes mistakes. Just make sure it's not you...

Hope lessons get learned from this, and some lives get saved.

[MidnightMike]

I know theres a hell of a lot of RIP threads but this is more to do with speeds around schools.

This morning around 8am a girl was hit by a truck just outside of our school, I won't say her name but I am sure it will be on the news.
Teachers did all they could, emergency services turned up and tried but everybody was soon notified that she had passed away, either in the ambulance or hospital.

The young girl was in form 3, so around 13/14 (I'm in 5th form) and a large number of students didn't attend the exams as the option to have a rest outside the Whare was there. I have never experienced such a quiet day at school since everybody was shocked.

The accident occurred as she was crossing the road to get to school, she didn't look enough and a truck was there at the wrong time.

Sorry dude, but she was in the wrong if she didnt look for long enough.

I know this has nothing to do with bikers but even though the speed limit was 70kmh (ridiculus) it doesn't been you can do that speed. The law says something like 50kmh or even 30 kmh but people think that since we are a high school it doesn't need to be respected.

The law says you cant go more than 1kph over the speed limit past schools. Nothing to do with it being a high school and not respected. 70kph is a fair speed for that stretch of road, read BikerChicks post...

Even if she was clipped at 50 by a truck it would have been the same outcome

Please guys keep the speed down.

Thanks
B-T

edit: School is Mount Maunganui college


If there was a bridge or an overpass, how many children would use it? Just the thin ones, or the lazy ones too?

An overpass would be a waste of money there. People just need to drop their kids on the right side of the road.


TV3 news disappointed me with their headliner "hit and run killer", then the Police say that the driver may not have been aware that they had hit anyone. Talk about ramping it up.

Wankers aye.


It's still possible the driver doesn't know it was him, even with all the publicity! This road is the major route to the port, and is the logging truck highway from the Eastern Bay of Plenty. That road is probably one of the busiest stretches of road in the area at that time of the morning.

What a terrible tragedy...

Exactly what it is. Not a Maniac death killer of Doom hit and run Truck Driver that ran over a girl that the medias making it out to be. She was probably just clipped and the truck driver didnt notice. My bother lost his best friend a few years ago when a cars wing mirror clipped him in the head and that was enough.

[SPman]

All schools here in W.A. have a 40km limit, during school terms, from 7.30-9 am and 3-4.30 pm, in proscribed zones, well marked. The cops will monitor them (with lasers) on request.
No one has a problem with that.

Controlled speed zones outside schools in session,should be a requirement and anyone who won't slow, should be hammered.

But then, drivers, espec. on highways, are f*cking stupid!