Spreading the road safety message across our city

From City Scene, published on 11 November, 2007

Our safer travel options - Auckland City Council works with communities to increase travel choices and safety.

Auckland City Council works with communities to increase travel choices and safety. A key focus is helping to reduce the number of crashes and improving our children's safety near schools.

Community focus

"Self-explaining roads" is a project encouraging Glen Innes and Pt England residents to suggest changes that could make existing roads safer and easier to use, without the need for large-scale construction work. The joint project involving Auckland City Council and research company TERNZ asks community members to complete a questionnaire about what they think about the roads in their neighbourhood, including their opinion on local footpaths, road markings, traffic, transport and safety. Community groups with concerns about traffic or transport in their neighbourhood are invited to phone the council for advice and help in finding solutions to these problems on 379 2020.

School transport choices

Auckland City Council works with local primary, intermediate and secondary schools to promote road safety, alternatives to car travel and reduce school-related traffic. Walking school buses - where parent helpers guide groups of children along a designated route - are proving a popular option, with 45 primary schools currently involved. The "buses" promote healthy activity and practical road safety education, are environmentally friendly, and are provided at no cost to schools or parents. Schools are also working with the council on the "Chaos at the School Gate" programme. This promotes awareness of traffic rules around schools, especially when dropping off or picking up children. The scheme helps make the school gates safer by reminding caregivers about correct parking behaviour. Parking officers are stationed outside schools and infringement notices are sent to offending vehicle owners. The programme also helps reduce traffic and minimise the inconvenience faced by residents and businesses in school areas.

Limited speed zones outside schools

Special 40km/h speed zones outside 12 Auckland city schools are making it easier and safer for children to travel to and from school. Most zones are near primary and intermediate schools because the risk of injury to these students is greater than for those attending secondary schools. The zones operate at the start and end of the school day, with high visibility electronic signs at approaches to the school zone and signs on adjacent streets alerting drivers to the speed limit. Research shows the zones slow traffic and increase driver awareness of children's presence - helping reduce the risk of crashes and injury near schools.