Be A Road Safety Hero This Road Safety Week
Council's Multi Model Advisor Charlotte Campbell-Lamerton says it is timely to remind drivers to be aware around pedestrian crossings. 'Pedestrians on a zebra crossing have right of way. Drivers should remember that this includes pedestrians who are waiting to cross or already crossing.'
In Blenheim and Picton there are also quite a few 'courtesy crossings' made of bricks or paving or raised above the level of the road. 'These are intended to facilitate eye contact between pedestrians and drivers resulting in a mutually negotiated position over who goes first,' Charlotte said.
'They provide a place where drivers can stop safely to allow pedestrians to cross. Drivers are not required to stop at courtesy crossings however the official New Zealand road code recommends that drivers are courteous to pedestrians using or waiting to use a courtesy crossing.'
Charlotte said Council also collected data on walking and cycling related near misses and crashes.
'This data is used to better understand road safety issues across our road and reserve network so safety adjustments can be made. Please go to Council's website and fill in the Bike/Walk Crash and Near Miss Report form about any close calls when you're out walking or cycling around Marlborough.'
'Blenheim cycle shop Bikes and Scooters recently designed a QR code to help make it easier for people to report a near miss on Council's website. This is a great example of being a road safety hero,' Charlotte said.
Road Safety Week 2025 from 12 to 18 May recognises everyone who is working to make our roads safer and support people following crashes.
'It also enables everyone who uses roads to understand how they can take responsibility for their own safety and the safety of others. That's a great message for us all to remember,' Charlotte said.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
RNZ News
2 days ago
- RNZ News
The Panel with Allan Blackman and Aimie Hines Part 2
Photo: Dunedin City Council In part two, a see saw in central Dunedin has drawn attention for its price tag - but how much did it actually cost? And finally, the Far North vintage car club is celebrating 50 long and great years of car appreciation.
Scoop
28-07-2025
- Scoop
Tyres Now Free To Recycle At Lincoln Street Resource Recovery Centre
Tired of all those old tyres laying about? Hamiltonians can now drop off their old clean tyres (without their rims) to the Lincoln Street Resource Recovery Centre for free. Hamilton City Council has opted in to the national initiative, which allows up to five tyres to be disposed of at registered businesses and organisations across the country for free. Tyrewise is a Ministry for the Environment-accredited scheme for tyre disposal. Council's Head of Resource Recovery, Nicole Bradbury hopes the new initiative will minimise the number of tyres Council sees illegally dumped around the city. 'In the last month alone, Council collected almost 250 illegally dumped tyres from around the city costing ratepayers around $5000 in clean-up costs,' said Bradbury. 'The cost of disposing tyres could've contributed to this dumping, and we want to help eliminate any barriers to recycling tyres for Hamiltonians.' Previously, the cost to dispose tyres was $21.19 each at the Lincoln Street Resource Recovery Centre. 'It's great to get behind the work that Tyrewise are doing and join the tyre disposal programme. It helps to create more accessible and affordable ways of meeting our waste minimisation goals for Hamiltonians. 'Council's involvement in this programme contributes to the city's goal of increasing innovation and opportunity from resource recovery. The tyres will be collected and recycled into products that benefit Council, such as playground matting. There is no cost to Council for its part in the scheme. As well as the Lincoln Street Resource Recovery Centre, you can see which businesses are registered here.
Scoop
16-07-2025
- Scoop
‘No Excuse For Speeding': New Limits Aim To Protect School Children
Cars speeding by the school in the Hawke's Bay village of Bridge Pā may not be such a big problem in future. Bridge Pā school principal Vanessa Sadler says cars coming along Maraekākaho Rd are asked to reduced speed from a 100km/h limit only 200m before the school gates. 'It's not much time to slow down and a lot of cars are travelling at more than 50km/h when they get to the school,' Sadler said. But now, about halfway between the 50km/h sign and the school, is a new 30km/h limit. This after Hastings District Council began its early rollout of lower vehicle speed limits outside schools. Hastings District Council Mayor Sandra Hazlehurst said the early adoption of the lower speed limits reflected the Council's strong commitment to improving safety outcomes for tamariki, whānau, and the wider community. 'We're taking a proactive step to protect our children and show leadership in road safety,' Hazlehurst said. Sadler says she is happy with the move. 'Speeding cars are a problem for us. In fact, sometimes there are police cars waiting in our car park for them. 'We have had many close calls with our tamariki and I've tried numerous times to get a school crossing, but we are on a state highway.' She said the signage was impressive. 'It's very visible. You can't miss them, so there is no excuse for speeding,' Sadler said. Hazlehurst said by rolling out variable speed limits before schedule, the council was ensuring safer journeys to and from school for everyone. The lower vehicle speed limits outside schools align the district with the Government's new Setting of Speed Limits Rule 2024. Over the next three months, all schools across Hastings will move to variable speed limits, operating during defined school travel periods during school terms. These periods typically cover 45 minutes before and after school, but up to an hour in areas where multiple schools are located nearby. Bridge Pā, Maraekākaho, Puketapu, Te Pōhue, and Waimārama schools are the first to have the new variable speed limits in place from July 14. The council's goal is to have the school speed limits operating at all Hastings schools by mid-September. The changes apply to both urban and rural schools and adhere to national rules that define school zone extents and classification criteria. Unlike the previous permanent speed zones, the new approach uses variable signs that are only active during designated school travel periods, improving clarity and consistency for drivers. All electronic signs have been purchased, with NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi support. Additional funding has been sought from NZTA to help with the installation of static variable signs.
