Oratia school lights up to reduce speeding cars

Media release
8 August 2005

Oratia school lights up to reduce speeding cars

Oratia District School is about to become the second school in the North Island to have a 40km school zone with solar lights, following a launch today at 2.30pm.

The school in Shaw Road is in a 50km/h zone but, before and after school, large solar signs will flash to alert motorists to slow down to 40km/h.

Speeding motorists are a problem on this rural road. Speed tubes have clocked cars doing speeds in excess of 100km/h outside the school on a regular basis.

“Our country is coming to grips with the impact of speed on our roads. You could say that in many ways our nation is in denial around speed. It’s a worry, how many of our boys have to be picked out of drains. Innocent children going to and from school are at risk,” says Deputy Mayor Carolynne Stone.

“Waitakere City took the ground-breaking step of erecting the first 40km solar signs in the North Island at Waitakere Primary School six months ago. We are leading the way, particularly at Local Government conferences, to have 40km zones around all schools for half an hour before and after school – however this is being blocked by rural councils.

“Our children and mokopuna (grandchildren) at Oratia will be that much safer with the installation of the 40km school zone,” she says.

40km School Zones can only be put in certain environments where there is a speed problem, and must meet a set of criteria from Land Transport NZ.

Waitakere City is currently assisting a community at Waiuku to get a 40km zone outside a school where there is a 100km zone.

ENDS

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