Email this web site address to all your friends and to your school P & C.
The Issues:
Many motorists enter 40kmh school zones without realising that they
are in operation. As a result children's lives are placed at risk and innocent drivers
face large fines and possible loss of licence.
The Government is installing speed cameras in many school zones but they are clearly designed to maximise revenue not safety.
The RTA conducted a trial of school zone flashing lights from 2003-2006. The final report (p.67 last para.) found that the
lights slowed traffic and reduced the risk of fatal accidents by 11%.
In spite of that the government said that flashing lights would only be installed
on a "needs basis". It also said that the lights were not reliable enough (para. 3 first sentence).
The RTA conducted another flashing lights trial at 100 schools during 2007 using lights that cost up to six times as much (up to $180,000 per school zone).
The lights used in the second trial proved to be less reliable (98.2%) (p.2 para. 11) than those used in the first trial (99.3%). In spite of that the government is spending $46.5M over 4 years installing those lights at just 4% of the school zones in the state. 96% of school zones will be left without flashing lights.
Much cheaper, more reliable and more effective technology is available. Eight sets of lights have been trialled by the RTA in Peakhurst and Lugarno since late 2006 and have been 100% reliable.
The RTA has been given the technology to use for nothing. Using that or similar technology the RTA could install flashing lights at every school zone in NSW for the above $46.5M. The government refuses however to consider cheaper alternatives in spite of the efforts of myself, the media and the
Schoolzone Santa.
The final report on the original RTA trial found (p.65) that simple lights such as those in Peakhurst and Lugarno (Type 1) reduced average traffic speeds by 50% more than the expensive lights the RTA is currently rolling out (Type 3).
The Roads Minister, Michael Daley, stated on 11 December 2008 that he did not believe that flashing lights should be installed at all schools because drivers could become "desensitized".
In early 2009 the Government spent $23M relocating the RTA head office from Surry Hills to sumptuous new premises at North Sydney with sweeping views of the city and harbour, yet they refuse to spend any money to protect children at 96% of school zones.
Your support is needed if the campaign for flashing lights at all schools is to succeed.
