Grumpy Old Bastard
Of recent times I have noted a proliferation of "school zone" signs in rural areas. They're an orange light sign that says "school zone" and has the wee pic of two kids walking plus a couple of flashing lights.
I presume this is just a warning sign with no legal restrictions on a par with the 40km/hr zones we have in urban areas.
Can anyone confirm that this is the case - maybe our resident LEO's might care to comment?
Any info gratefully received. Ta.
. “No pleasure is worth giving up for two more years in a rest home.” Kingsley Amis
Dickens Cider
While the lights are flashing, the area you are driving/riding through is legally a 40km/h speed zone and enforceable by law.
Oh and here is some more info...
School speed zones will operate:
•35 minutes before the start of school until the start of school
•20 minutes at the end of school commencing no earlier than five minutes before the end of school
•10 minutes at any other time of day when at least 50 children cross the road or enter or leave vehicles at the roadside.
Factors required for the successful operation of a 40 km/h variable speed limit in a school zone are:
•having times of operation coinciding with on-road, school-related activity
•approved advisory signs and regulatory displays that alert motorists they are travelling through a school zone
•appropriate levels of enforcement by the police
•long-term commitment by the principal and Board of Trustees for the correct operation of a 40 km/h variable speed limit at their school.
Schools that have 40km/h speed zones in the TRON....
1. Aberdeen Primary School 2. Bankwood Primary School 3. Deanwell Primary School 4. Fairfield Primary School 5. Fairfield Intermediate School 6. Frankton Primary School 7. Hamilton East Primary School 8. Hukanui Primary School 9. Insoll Primary School 10. Maeroa Intermediate School 11. Marian Catholic School 12. Peachgrove Intermediate School 13. Pukete Primary School 14. Rotoruna Primary School 15. Silverdale Normal Primary School 16. St Josephs Primary School 17. Vardon Primary School 18. Woodstock Primary School.
No body move... I dropped my brain
Grumpy Old Bastard
Originally Posted by Stirts
Stirts, are you sure this applies to the rural signs as well? They have no speed indication at all, unlike the urban ones that I am familiar with. I would have thought a speed indication of some sort would be a good idea if a speed limit applies. Otherwise, who would know?
. “No pleasure is worth giving up for two more years in a rest home.” Kingsley Amis
Dickens Cider
Good question, I would like to think so, but we are talking NZTA.
Does it look like this?
When it lights up the sign actually states "40"
No body move... I dropped my brain
God's Evil Twin
I believe if no altered speed is displayed it just means they are scamming the 4km/h over the normal limit rather than the 10km/h. Otherwise all else is the same just watch for the retarded (some like to run in-front of vehicles)
Science Is But An Organized System Of Ignorance"Pornography: The thing with billions of views that nobody watches" - WhiteManBehindADesk
NEDWN VIII
The primary reason is to keep the kids from running out from behind a school bus at 40kph or less.
Grumpy Old Bastard
No - these ones are quite different. I'll stop and take a pic next time I am past one.Good question, I would like to think so, but we are talking NZTA.
Does it look like this?
When it lights up the sign actually states "40"
I've actually just asked some dude at NZTA about them. He says they are an "active warning sign" only with no speed restrictions attached. But he said that police have a lower tolerance around them than usual. So the one at Te Uku, in a 100km/hr zone only restricts you to 100km/hr. The one at Ngahinapouri, in a 70km/hr zone restricts you to 70km/hr. But I guess if you are more than 4km/hr over, then the LEO's might want to speak to you...
. “No pleasure is worth giving up for two more years in a rest home.” Kingsley Amis
Dickens Cider
*sigh* awesome consistency!!
I know various schools around the country are participating in "variable speed zone" trials, be interesting to see if that is one.....if they meet the criteria, it may well beome a 40km variable speed zoned school.
IMO they all should be FULL.FARKING.STOP
No body move... I dropped my brain
Hardcore Biker
School zones during and around school times should always be a 40K limit, rural or not. A 5 year shouldnt have to worry about vehicles doing 100 km/hr past them when they cross the road to school.
Dickens Cider
I wish I could say you are right, but unfortunately that is not the case.
Certainly with rural anyway. Some say that reducing the speed limit past schools in rural areas will cause more accidents because dumbfucks can't safely reduce their speed from 100kms down to 40kms..... I know, factoring for the lowest common demoninator and all that, but it seems this is how our world is these days.
Research in the Canterbury area is proving otherwise. Thus the "variable speed zone" trials happening around the country side.
Such a shame that a school/area has to prove that they are compliant before the variable speed zone is set ..... isn't it just farken common sense that it should be this way? but then common sense doesn't seem to exist in our world, a bit like responsibility.
rant fin
No body move... I dropped my brain
Forum whore
If it is just a picture of the kids with flashing lights then there is no legal status, it is just a warning sign. Being 'active' it is on a timer or controlled by the school so it only flashes when there are kids about. It is purely to raise awareness that there are children about and does not change the speed limit.
Go to the NZTA website and search Traffic Note 56 if you want to know a bit more, it also talks about lower speed limits past schools.
Traffic Note 56
A lot of rural schools have safety issues because kids and high speed roads don't mix. I have seen the results of a kid jumping off the verge in to the path of a passing car and you don't want that. Passive signs don't achieve much, active signs only really work if there are children around to support the message, so lower speed limits are probably going to be seen more often.
Forum whore
The problem in NZ on this one is that for once we won't follow the Australian example. Over there they have simple signs saying 40km/h between these hours and these hours. Cheap to put up and a lot of schools have them. Here you have to have electronic signs that only show the speed limit duing the hours it is in operation. This significantly increases the cost so most schools aren't likely to get them.
Grumpy Old Bastard
The one I mentioned at Te Uku, between The Tron and Raglan, is a prime example of that.
There's a wee village to pass through. There's a store, a coffee shop, a school an intersection and various other bits and bobs. And the speed limit is 100km/hr. Now I ride this road a lot but I sure as hell don't go through there at 100k. It's crazy - there are cars everywhere at times and of course all the mummies have to drop their preciouses off in the SUV, so around school in and out times, it can be mayhem, with U-turns aplenty. 100km/hr? Madness.
The NZTA guy agreed and told me they were dropping the limit to 80k. I said it should be 70 but he told me that "the rules" don't allow for that...
We must have great rules...
. “No pleasure is worth giving up for two more years in a rest home.” Kingsley Amis
Best Frenemy you could have!
But the normal speed limit signs aren't any different are they?
Hardcore Biker
Dammit you caught me before the ninja edit! I double checked the roadcode, and realised it isnt always the case. It should be though.I wish I could say you are right, but unfortunately that is not the case.
Certainly with rural anyway. Some say that reducing the speed limit past schools in rural areas will cause more accidents because dumbfucks can't safely reduce their speed from 100kms down to 40kms..... I know, factoring for the lowest common demoninator and all that, but it seems this is how our world is these days.
Research in the Canterbury area is proving otherwise. Thus the "variable speed zone" trials happening around the country side.
Such a shame that a school/area has to prove that they are compliant before the variable speed zone is set ..... isn't it just farken common sense that it should be this way? but then common sense doesn't seem to exist in our world, a bit like responsibility.
rant fin
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