national to reverse speed limit changes

[SueDonim]

If people are harmed by accidents caused by sober people driving at or below the speed limit, then dropping the speed limit is a good idea. If accidents are caused by the speed discrepancy between cars and trucks on main highways, then evening of the speed limit is a good idea. Everywhere else, the actual causes of the accidents should be addressed - drunk/drugged drivers travelling faster than the existing speed limit or failing to stay on their own side of the road. None of that is impacted by changes in speed limits which just punish the innocent without addressing the causes. And the speedsters carry on speeding and causing crashes.

It's great to see the economic factors finally being considered. If a truck takes longer to do its freight run and the driver has their number of runs per day reduced this has a direct effect on their personal livelihood and puts freight costs up for everyone. Especially supermarkets.

Schools should do what they can to reduce parents taking kids to school. Every school should have a rule that says no drop off or pickup within 500m of the school. Get kids bussing, walking or biking. Everything kenj says is right. We see it all at the school near us. It even has a side street with a safe parking area that doesn't get used. The main road has mothers lined up at 2:15 pm just to get a park.

Alternatively, another school I know has 5-minute only parks outside and that does help a lot. But the kids could still get some exercise and walk to meet the parents. If all of them did it, then it would be far safer overall.

[Oh_hunnihunni]

The trucking industry has the highest use of meth as an industry according to regular media reports, because of the pressure put on drivers to complete runs in certain time limits. I had family members who were truckers, and the stress they endured from their own employers was enormous. Add to that the garbage they deal with on our roads and it is no wonder some opt for chemical help to get through their days and nights.

Another good reason to lower our dependence on road transport in favour of the viable alternatives.

[Lilith7]

It may be that more school buses might be a partial answer, rather than parents taking kids to school. Usually they're only in rural areas but using eelctric buses could in future be an alternative for cities.

I didn't know that about truck drivers Hunni. I really should have though, after seeing that movie Sorry we missed you, since its about a man trying to improve things for his family be becoming a courier van driver only to instead end up on a virtual treadmill.


https://www.theguardian.com/film/2019/ma...-ken-loach

[Zurdo]

They want to reduce road cones too. There are more road cones in NZ than humans, I hope they have a representative for their case in this obvious bias to the more needy humans.

[Oh_hunnihunni]

It may be that more school buses might be a partial answer, rather than parents taking kids to school. Usually they're only in rural areas but using eelctric buses could in future be an alternative for cities.

I didn't know that about truck drivers Hunni. I really should have though, after seeing that movie Sorry we missed you, since its about a man trying to improve things for his family be becoming a courier van driver only to instead end up on a virtual treadmill.


https://www.theguardian.com/film/2019/ma...-ken-loach

When I first started riding big road bikes, my Uncle Don - who was a mere sixteen years older than me - delighted in telling me about the ones who came through his windscreen.

He was a lovely man, very creative. Moved to Oz, as they all did, and took up road trains. Now, that's trucking.

[Kenj]

It may be that more school buses might be a partial answer, rather than parents taking kids to school. Usually they're only in rural areas but using eelctric buses could in future be an alternative for cities.

I didn't know that about truck drivers Hunni. I really should have though, after seeing that movie Sorry we missed you, since its about a man trying to improve things for his family be becoming a courier van driver only to instead end up on a virtual treadmill.


https://www.theguardian.com/film/2019/ma...-ken-loach

When I first started riding big road bikes, my Uncle Don - who was a mere sixteen years older than me - delighted in telling me about the ones who came through his windscreen.

He was a lovely man, very creative. Moved to Oz, as they all did, and took up road trains. Now, that's trucking.

Hmmn, Road trains, makes the 10 tonner I used to drive around Auckland look like small beer!

[C_T_Russell]

CT, you keep asking for impossible figures... road toll, covid, we can only model the number of lives lost. Truth is, it only matters when they are lives we loved.

Then you can trust me, it matters a hell of a lot. For a very long time.

Well we better make the speed limit zero because that's the only way we will see no deaths.