Speed Zones for Pre-School/Day Care????

[Bonn]

Hi All,

It never ceases to amaze me that , in NSW at least, there are NO school zone style 40kmh zones around Pre-Schools and Child Minding centres.

Think about it - High School pupils are traffic-savvy, yet 40kmh zones are imposed, even if the back of the sports oval has a boundary on the road.
That's understandable, for reasons of parity, uniformity, etc.

What really s***s me is getting buzzed by morons at 50-60kmh sprinting through a 'short-cut', when collecting our toddler from the Local Early Learning Centre (aka Pre-School).
Countless times, have witnessed a mum or dad, loaded right up with back-pack, lunchbox, bedding, another baby, etc struggling to the car whilst their excited toddler sprints out towards the family car......

SURELY these infants are less cognisant of vehicular movement than older kids????? What's the story? Can someone enlighten me, if possible?

Is it just NSW?

A lot of questions, admittedly - just curious.

Cheers,
Bonn

[mike_nofx]

I guess because children being picked up from pre school always have an adult with them.

[JGP]

Originally Posted by mike_nofx

I guess because children being picked up from pre school always have an adult with them.

What about if you have another small child with you? My missus pick up our 3.5yr old from day care with our 2yr old. Not as simple as you make it out to be.

[mike_nofx]

Originally Posted by JGP

What about if you have another small child with you? My missus pick up our 3.5yr old from day care with our 2yr old. Not as simple as you make it out to be.

Me and/or my missus drop off our 2 and 4 year olds at preschool twice a week.
Is not hard, you do what you gotta do.
The ratio of adults to children outside a preschool would be almost 1 adult per 1 child.

Outside a primary or high school, you could have 200 kids waiting for buses with 1 teacher accompanying them.

[Bonn]

Originally Posted by mike_nofx

Me and/or my missus drop off our 2 and 4 year olds at preschool twice a week.
Is not hard, you do what you gotta do.
The ratio of adults to children outside a preschool would be almost 1 adult per 1 child.

Outside a primary or high school, you could have 200 kids waiting for buses with 1 teacher accompanying them.

Good point - and probably why pre-school institutions aren't 40kmh.
After reading Flappist's post, it probably is a bit of an isolated case - i.e. potential shortcut, which sucks, and even then a good eyeballing of the perpetrators generally gets a 20k speed reduction, on the spot. Given, there's a finite population, eventually everyone will have got 'the Evil Eye'.

[Silver Ghia]

And adults hopefully should properly supervise their toddlers near roads.

[dieseltrain79]

In the perfect world . But those with kids would know they sometimes break free !

I agree with the idea , as a professional driver it's a good idea .

Problem is , most are on back roads and not much revenue would be raised ...

After all , that's what speed zones really are there for :?

[supershifty]

Same here in Brisbane for the early learning centres at either end of my street, yes they're adequately fenced, and every adult should be responsibly looking after their kids, as those of us with kids know though - they can get away in the blink of an eye.

[GhiaEB]

Ah let's just lower the national limit to 40kph. Most daycare/kindas are in back streets where the limit is 50 anyway. The limit is not the problem. It's drivers attitudes when driving in an area that may have kids running around. 20yrs ago back street limits were 60kph, regardless of environment,. Common sense was used. Sadly I feel the more laws that are introduced to protect the lowest common denominator, the less common sense is used.

[Bonn]

Originally Posted by GhiaEB

Ah let's just lower the national limit to 40kph. Most daycare/kindas are in back streets where the limit is 50 anyway. The limit is not the problem. It's drivers attitudes when driving in an area that may have kids running around. 20yrs ago back street limits were 60kph, regardless of environment,. Common sense was used. Sadly I feel the more laws that are introduced to protect the lowest common denominator, the less common sense is used.

The number of tools speeding are definitely in the minority, so it could be as simple as 'traffic calming' making the short cut less appealing. Problem is, potential hazards don't seem to get the same attention as a recommendation from the Coroner - reactive seems to beat pro-active, where councils are concerned.

[GasoLane]

Originally Posted by Bonn

Think about it - High School pupils are traffic-savvy, yet 40kmh zones are imposed, even if the back of the sports oval has a boundary on the road.

High School, and Primary school, kids are also known to be somewhat stupid near roads as they're busy talking, texting and generally mucking about not looking for traffic.

Originally Posted by Bonn

What really s***s me is getting buzzed by morons at 50-60kmh sprinting through a 'short-cut', when collecting our toddler from the Local Early Learning Centre (aka Pre-School).
Countless times, have witnessed a mum or dad, loaded right up with back-pack, lunchbox, bedding, another baby, etc struggling to the car whilst their excited toddler sprints out towards the family car......

I wouldn't call 50-60 'sprinting' but Mum or Dad should be aware of the dangers around the area.

Oh, and I've managed to get 3 kids and 2 grandchildren to and from pre-school over the years without any dramas, but maybe that's because I take care crossing roads and taught them to do the same!

Originally Posted by Bonn

so it could be as simple as 'traffic calming' making the short cut less appealing.

'Traffic calming' (read speed bumps) is great, except when the Ambulance or Fire Truck is trying to get where they want as quick as possible.

[Bonn]

Originally Posted by GasOLane

High School, and Primary school, kids are also known to be somewhat stupid near roads as they're busy talking, texting and generally mucking about not looking for traffic.

No arguments there, and you could include adults on the turps in that category

Originally Posted by GasOLane

I wouldn't call 50-60 'sprinting' but Mum or Dad should be aware of the dangers around the area.

The centre itself is on the inside of a curve, so vision is limited, and your open drivers door narrowly misses getting knocked off it's hinges, so speed's a relative thing. It's sprinting, don't worry.

Originally Posted by GasOLane

Oh, and I've managed to get 3 kids and 2 grandchildren to and from pre-school over the years without any dramas, but maybe that's because I take care crossing roads and taught them to do the same!

Good stuff, trying to do the same. I worry about the exception, having seen small exuberant grey shapes in winter, when 5pm is dark.

Originally Posted by GasOLane

'Traffic calming' (read speed bumps) is great, except when the Ambulance or Fire Truck is trying to get where they want as quick as possible.

I'd expect a Fire Engine, Police vehicle or Ambulance to launch over the odd speed hump, in an emergency - I would, so don't completely agree with that one.

[Bdazla]

Originally Posted by Bonn

I'd expect a Fire Engine, Police vehicle or Ambulance to launch over the odd speed hump, in an emergency - I would, so don't completely agree with that one.

Not sure you would really want an ambulance launching over a speed hump when you have just been in some form of serious accident. The jolt could be enough to kill you. I have heard a story where an ambulance had a crash which restarted a man’s heart from the force of the impact. So you never know I guess.

Fire trucks carry huge amounts of water which obviously does weigh a lot so I would think that some of the speed humps could actually damage the trucks at serious speeds. They probably could go faster than a car in saying this as they are a truck still.
Are there any Firemen or Ambos’ that could give us real world experience with this. I am curious......

I must say drivers are very complacent these days. Rather frustrating really. People really do need to pay more attention to what they are doing and not the radio, paper, phone, lipstick or whatever else they are doing whilst driving.

[XD 351 Ute]

Originally Posted by Bdazla

Fire trucks carry huge amounts of water which obviously does weigh a lot so I would think that some of the speed humps could actually damage the trucks at serious speeds. They probably could go faster than a car in saying this as they are a truck still.

Our Alpha truck is a Mercedes Otago, which is fitted with airbag suspension. I drive slowly over the speedbumps etc, because even it has a rough ride over them.
We have a multitude of equipment on board, as well as out tanks of water & foam, and like everything it needs to be looked after.
Some may have less mechanical sympathy than others I suppose.

Ed

[xxx000]

Originally Posted by XD 351 Ute

Our Alpha truck is a Mercedes Otago, which is fitted with airbag suspension. I drive slowly over the speedbumps etc, because even it has a rough ride over them.
We have a multitude of equipment on board, as well as out tanks of water & foam, and like everything it needs to be looked after.
Some may have less mechanical sympathy than others I suppose.

Ed

we have to drive pretty slowly over speed humps in ours to avoid damage

two tonnes of water plus gear makes it unsuitable for launching over them

[tweeked]

Originally Posted by Bonn

The centre itself is on the inside of a curve, so vision is limited, and your open drivers door narrowly misses getting knocked off it's hinges, so speed's a relative thing. It's sprinting, don't worry.

how about you drive 20 metres up the road and park where it is safer?

[Bonn]

Originally Posted by tweeked

how about you drive 20 metres up the road and park where it is safer?

The whole street's curved - it's a crescent. It's not an issue being the driver, you just time the opening of the door. The poost was a reply about relative motion/speed. Obviously, the kid gets out on the curbside and all's sweet.

i tend to round another local (blind) corner, featuring an old pub, at about 25kmh, 'cause there's always the chance of a dog, kid or old p*sspot teetering about to cross to the median strip - again, it's way below the posted 50, but them's the conditions. It would feel uncomfortable, any faster

[flappist]

Originally Posted by Bonn

The whole street's curved - it's a crescent. It's not an issue being the driver, you just time the opening of the door. The poost was a reply about relative motion/speed. Obviously, the kid gets out on the curbside and all's sweet.

i tend to round another local (blind) corner, featuring an old pub, at about 25kmh, 'cause there's always the chance of a dog, kid or old p*sspot teetering about to cross to the median strip - again, it's way below the posted 50, but them's the conditions. It would feel uncomfortable, any faster

And here is the crux of the problem. You want to change the whole of Australia to suit your unique situation.
This has been the origin of some of the most stupid and inconveniencing rules forced on us.

How about you go to your local council and ask them to reduce the speed limit at that one place.

Thinking with the brain instead of the heart usually produces a better result...........

[FPVF6X201]

The street for my sons day care is a rat run road and situated on a corner. Heaps of traffic in the AM and PM pickup times. Thankfully ours has a carpark to pick up the kids, but I do agree some sort of warning should be around these day care centres (like the old yellow sign of an adult holding a kids hand).

[trentski]

I pass a three day cares on the way to and from work and two out of the three have 40kmh zones

[Bonn]

Originally Posted by trentski

I pass a three day cares on the way to and from work and two out of the three have 40kmh zones

Which state are you in????

[ebxr8240]

Originally Posted by Bonn

Which state are you in????

Sobber !!

[Bonn]

Originally Posted by ebxr8240

What state are you in?????
Sobber !!

Was sweating on that....

[Bonn]

We may have come full-circle, back to Driver Awareness/Ability/Training.

Once attended an 'advanced drivi ng' course in 1990 at Amaroo, and it was the ducks guts. Lots of good stuff, e.g. the instructor blows the whistle, and you are instantly up the a**e end of an imaginary, stationary truck (denoted by witches hats) on the apex of a wet bend, in this case STP corner.

****** like that can give a driver a fair bit of perspective, IMO.
Motorcyclists, often victims, have to complete courses before becoming licensed - why can't drivers??

[Kryton]

Stop, Look and Listen.
Try it some time, instead of letting a sign dumb down society to the point that no one can think for themselves.

[NX74205]

While I agree with your general point about 40km/h zones around pre-school and day care centres, I must strongly disagree with

Originally Posted by Bonn

High School pupils are traffic-savvy,

In my experience, they're anything but. There's a high school just down the road from me, and driving through there during the end of the school day is a nightmare. I've seen too many kids cross the road without even looking out for traffic. The worst part is the drivers who acquiesce to that by stopping in the middle of the road and letting them cross even if it isn't a designated crossing area, so the kids think it's ok to cross without looking because the drivers will stop anyway.

[Bonn]

Originally Posted by NX74205

While I agree with your general point about 40km/h zones around pre-school and day care centres, I must strongly disagree with



In my experience, they're anything but. There's a high school just down the road from me, and driving through there during the end of the school day is a nightmare. I've seen too many kids cross the road without even looking out for traffic. The worst part is the drivers who acquiesce to that by stopping in the middle of the road and letting them cross even if it isn't a designated crossing area, so the kids think it's ok to cross without looking because the drivers will stop anyway.

Yeah, not saying the speed-zones are wrong for High School, but your right - my statement could have been less general, they do still playfight and text......

[LTDHO]

Why not make all roads 40kph? Afterall, kids are everywhere.

[MAD]

I fail to see the reasoning behind permanent 40 zones around schools with 8ft fences and locked gates after hours.

[TheSneakiness]

Luckily my sons daycare is 100mt off the road with a huge carpark.

40km/h zones to me anyway were introduced to protect the stupid.