Police are warning children could die or be seriously injured if Kiwi drivers speeding near schools don’t slow down.
On Monday, a speed camera sting outside a school in Dunedin nabbed seven drivers speeding past every minute. More than 200 were caught speeding in half an hour – and a separate camera set up outside a different school yesterday came up with similar results.
Dunedin Senior Sergeant Karl Hemmingsen told Breakfast that Kiwi drivers must do better.
“It’s very disappointing,” he said, pointing out a vehicle travelling at 40-50km/h could cause “a lot more damage” to a child than one going slower.
He said a car at that speed could “potentially kill” a child – while a car going at 30km/h “probably would stop in time”.
“I don’t know exactly why they’re not learning the lesson,” Hemmingsen continued.
Speed limits around New Zealand schools were mostly set at 30km/h, although there was flexibility to vary the speed limit or the times when limits changed — such as when there were more likely to be children on or near the roads. In every school zone, however, signs were prominently placed to inform motorists.
“The signs [have] been up for a long time, they’re pretty big and bold and some of them have got flashing lights on them,” Hemmingsen said.
“You can’t miss them – so I don’t know if it’s people just tied up in their own lives, busy, whatever.
“The few seconds you gain by speeding through the short distance past a school, you’re probably not gonna gain much by the time you get to the next intersection and lose it anyhow.
“What was the point in putting lives at risk?
Hemmingsen said one car was clocked doing 59km/h past a school in yesterday’s sting.
“Nearly every second car was over the limit of 30km/h,” he added.
“It’s simple physics: If you hit someone going faster, you’re gonna do more damage.
“It’s pretty horrific having to go and tell someone that their child’s been killed… just slow down around schools.”