Unnecessary/Dangerous School Zones

[Tardinator]

Lobster, yes, they use the lights and overpass.
Because as stated, it's suicide to try and cross the road otherwise!

[Spammy]

Daveee is right ....I only ever see kids using the overpass and the lights. (keep in mind I have driven along here twice a day for the last 3 years ...)

[phee]

Originally posted by Lobster
Hmm...

So, I have a question....

Do the kids at the school, actually cross the road or do they use the overpass and such?

Up here the kids use the overpass/walkway except for a small few who try to cross the road, they soon learn to walk up and over though

[CyberianKnight]

Originally posted by Setanta
Hahahahaha - you know, the funniest thing is that you truly take yourself seriously :D :D :D

"Troll troll trol your boat... "

Yeah the sad part is that I always end up casting pearls before swine....

[CyberianKnight]

Originally posted by baggins
On a public road, a car is a car, it is transport, it gets you from one place to another, A to B, nothing more nothing less, it is a privelige. It will get you to work on time or near enough, it will get you to the movies, you can have a $hitload of fun with them at a skidpan or a circuit. Pretty basic stuff.

Sure we are passionate about them, we race them, some show them, we certainly love to talk about them, and some of us are waaay too attached to them.

They should be treated with the utmost of respect, especially on public roads and especially around schools. I really don't see the problem by obeying these rules no matter how silly they may appear, try to lead by example.

A human life and a car cannot be compared.

some peoples thoughts, ideas and attitudes absolutely f*cking amaze me, is there no compassion for human life anymore? Has everyone right to convinience and ignorance become so blinding? I think sometimes we forget what is important and what life is really all about. It certainly isn't about some of the things discussed in this thread.

True, but the very thing that we are questioning here are whether or not these zones are unnecessary in CERTAIN conditions, we are not blanket stating anything here, we are in the process of analysing and in doing so laying down the logical bottom line in these situations, which I have stated to be 'you walk in front of a moving car, you will get hit'. That is an irrefutable fact and whatever safety campaign needs to be built upon that with the correct moral emphasis of responsibility to be on the main perpetrators of these accidents, the pedestrian.

Of course some of my comments have come across as harsh and uncaring but I was merely trying to establish the correct underlying truth, compassion and what not is voluntary in this context and I exhibit that when I drive around packed areas.

[Lobster]

So,
*me treads softly*
if noone uses this to cross other than the overpass and the lights, then why is everyone who thinks that the speed limit is too low being branded as murderers?

*me waits for house to be fire bombed*

[Setanta]

Context really - the comments were made that the responsibility does not lie with the driver. Arguments are that it provides a safety buffer "in case".

That and cyberian seems to think he has the line on truth. What he doesn't understand is that a car travelling at 70+ will not pull up as quickly to avoid a potential situation and that a car travelling at 40 will not cause as much damage to an individual. It's called defensive driving... rather than offensive where he seems to be fine with mowing down anyone who steps onto "his" road.

It would seem to be that his lack of understanding of the sanctity of human life is more at issue... that or he's been playing too much Carmageddon.

Either way, he'll come up with some oblique way of justifying himself and then go back to being a legend in his own lunchtime

Keep up the good work Cyberian - tis good to have a laugh

[Spammy]

As I was driving into work this morning a kid had been run over about 1.5km up the road (North) from the school in question.

He had been hit by a car in the middle of the Gladesville shopping strip which is not a 40km/h zone but hundreds of kids do cross the road here to get on buses at the major bus stop on the other side.

As many people have said the kids at the original school use the lights and the intersection but elsewhere alon Victoria Rd it is a free for all despite havong a fence running along the median strip for large parts of this section.

[Captiva Fan]

I've got a much cheaper idea than putting up signposts & wasting time & money on speed enforcement ... and which would therefore fit in with the goals & aims of our current NSW Liberal government.

Why don't we make all school children wear cotton-wool padding that's 4' thick to school, at the cost of the parent! The private schools would of course get government funding for this initiative, as they get more government funding then government schools do anyway.

[CyberianKnight]

Originally posted by Setanta
Context really - the comments were made that the responsibility does not lie with the driver. Arguments are that it provides a safety buffer "in case".

And strictly speaking, that is a luxury to the pedestrian to be given at the driver's discretion to be nice and considerate when people are about.

Originally posted by Setanta

That and cyberian seems to think he has the line on truth. What he doesn't understand is that a car travelling at 70+ will not pull up as quickly to avoid a potential situation and that a car travelling at 40 will not cause as much damage to an individual.

And I countered that with the better solution which is to keep kids off the road altogether with a range of fencing measures, teacher's patrols (yeah this is where YOU can put your money where your mouth is) and police enforcement, which you blatantly refused to accept and decided to attack a moot tangent.

Originally posted by Setanta

It would seem to be that his lack of understanding of the sanctity of human life is more at issue... that or he's been playing too much Carmageddon.

I do not much believe in the sanctity of human life as opposed to the sanctity of the person. If a person does me no wrong then I shall respect his existence, however if he goes around capping people then his life is forfeit. Same goes when he blatantly disregards his own safety. How hard is that concept of fairness in the allocation of responsibility to understand? It works out quite well when you dispense with the irrationality of your ideas.

Originally posted by Setanta

Either way, he'll come up with some oblique way of justifying himself and then go back to being a legend in his own lunchtime

Arguments which you have dodged and failed to argue against at all. The joke's on you mate.

[CyberianKnight]

Originally posted by Forg
I've got a much cheaper idea than putting up signposts & wasting time & money on speed enforcement ... and which would therefore fit in with the goals & aims of our current NSW Liberal government.

Why don't we make all school children wear cotton-wool padding that's 4' thick to school, at the cost of the parent! The private schools would of course get government funding for this initiative, as they get more government funding then government schools do anyway.

We have a LIBERAL NSW government?

[GAZ914]

Cool thread guys
I suppose for context, I should state that I'm a parent and (nearly) middle aged. My 2 cars are '02 Barina SRi and '89 Patrol (with bullbar).

I personally hate the main road 40 km/h zones, since I often stuff up the times and either go slow when I'm not required to or speed when I should be slow. I often wonder "who thought of this great idea".

Everybody seems to be getting bogged down in right/wrong arguments. I'm old enough to realise that there is no such thing as black and white, and even the different shades of grey are hard to see.

The bottom line is:
If you had the job of drafting a rule (legislation) that was responsible to safeguarding kids near schools, what would it say?

I know my response would be 40 km/h zones and flashing lights.

Then I would promptly curse them everytime I went through one!

But I would sleep at night knowing that despite the good/bad/ugly arguments - I had made the best COMPROMISE without resorting to some sort of "do this except when this happens, or the other condition listed in paragraph 4.3.5.7 applies..." rule that had so many loopholes that it was useless.

GAZ

[Setanta]

Originally posted by CyberianKnight
And I countered that with the better solution which is to keep kids off the road altogether with a range of fencing measures, teacher's patrols (yeah this is where YOU can put your money where your mouth is) and police enforcement, which you blatantly refused to accept and decided to attack a moot tangent.

LMAO - you REALLY do take yourself seriously don't you?????

I'm sorry, I shouldn't laugh, you just think you know it all

Teacher's patrols? Umm... what? On idiots breaking posted speed limits? If you had a clue you would know that schools do put staff on bus duty, but we can't be responsible for egotistical maniacs who think they own the road and have the right to bowl everyone over that gets in their way.

Like I said - driving is a responsibility, something you just haven't learned yet.

Keep up the good work - especially the funny posts

[Eeyore]

i really didnt know what to say in this thread and i cant really get a grasp on what the general consensus is, considering there appears to be such a difference in opinion.

All i know is i ALWAYS do the 40k's through school zones up here in Qld, not only because there is often police patrols around my area but because i value a childs life extremely highly.

I have a 7 yr old brother who sometimes i take to school. I am near obsessive to protect him. If anyone hurt him or even, god forbid, took him away from me i would be devistated, all it takes is one idiot driver or someone not paying attention. How bloody hard is it to slow down, turn the radio off and concentrate clearly for the short stretch of a school zone. If you, the morons out there, (NOT refering to anyone on these forums!) kill my brother may the lord have mercy on your soul as i wont.

A long time ago i almost hit a small child in the RX4, i was over the 40k limit outside my own school but was lucky enough to be keeping a keen eye on my suroundings and avoided an accident. This image stains my memory and i have learnt from it immensly. I might sound crazy but with all the scum bag humans out there, with all the sadness, hate, anger and disregard for peoples well being and hapiness i dont care for anymore much more than the life of my brother, im old enough to look after myself and protect myself from modern society, he isnt.

I know it sucks to loose points, to pay big fines, to even loose your license as ive done the lot. But how much would it suck to kill a human being that has done nothing wrong to you. Call me a sook, call me whatever you want, i dont care.

Drive safely.

[CyberianKnight]

Originally posted by Setanta

Teacher's patrols? Umm... what? On idiots breaking posted speed limits? If you had a clue you would know that schools do put staff on bus duty, but we can't be responsible for egotistical maniacs who think they own the road and have the right to bowl everyone over that gets in their way.

Your lack of comprehension comes shining through once again. If you actually bothered to read my posts in detail, you'd know that I was referring to teacher's on patrol to deter kids from crossing in an unsafe manner because they have the authority to do so.

And you know what the ironic thing is? My proposed solution will probably end up saving more lives than your's and it still allows for efficient traffic flow. So what exactly is the basis of your objection? Or are you just intentionally ignorant because it indulges your delusions?