Kids draw attention to dangerous intersections

12 October 2004

Kids are literally taking their safety issues to the streets at four signalised intersections with a history of close calls and incidents between vehicles and pedestrians.

Council Transport Planner Mike Thomson says the four-week campaign, which started at Shirley Intermediate last week, aims to alert drivers at intersections with the highest reported near misses to watch out for children before and after school.

From 8.30am tomorrow,  13 October, pupils from Spreydon School will continue the campaign by standing at each corner of the Lincoln-Halswell-Hoon Hay-Curletts roads intersection in brightly coloured tee-shirts emblazoned with the message “I walk here”.

Their numbers aim to draw attention to their rights as pedestrians as they join other classmates crossing on pedestrian signals and carrying placards that read: “We’re walking here,”. On each approach to the intersection, drivers will also be warned that something is happening at the intersection with signage “Kids walking here”.

Mr Thomson says that four intersections identified by Council as having the most reported near-misses or incidents between vehicles and pedestrians are:

• Marshland-North Parade-Shirley-New Brighton roads;
• Lincoln-Halswell-Hoon Hay-Curletts roads;
• Greers-Wairakei roads, and
• Pages-Breezes roads.

The most commonly reported problem by schools and residents living near these intersections was vehicles turning at the lights without giving way to pedestrians or vehicles chasing amber lights, Mr Thomson says.

“Children crossing at the lights often step out as soon as the pedestrian signal turns green, without first checking that traffic has stopped. This exercise aims to just remind drivers to just be aware of children’s presence.  Kids don’t judge distance very well so it’s best for drivers to be on alert for them,” Mr Thomson says.

The campaign will be repeated by Wairakei School, at 8.30am on Wednesday 20 October at the intersection of Greers and Wairakei roads,  and Aranui Primary School at 2.30pm, on Wednesday, 27 October, at the intersection of Pages and Breezes roads.

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