Road Safety Week Activity - Wananga

Road Safety and Media reporting:

Road Traffic crashes are often covered in the media simply as events - not as leading killer of people and an enormous drain on a country's human, health and financial resources. By framing road safety as health and development story, with data and in-depth information, journalists have the opportunity to affect the way these stories are told and potentially to help shift public behavior and attitudes,  influence policy and therefore contribute towards saving lives. 

The chances of dying in a road traffic crash depends on where you live!

• About 1.25 million people globally die each year as a result of road traffics crashes - that's over 3400 deaths a day.
• Nearly half of those who die on the world's roads are vulnerable road users: pedestrians, cyclists and motorcyclists. 
• Road traffic injuries are the leading cause of death globally among people aged 15-29 years. 
• Around the world, almost three times more men than women die from road traffic injuries.

Road safety in NZ

New Zealand's road toll has generally followed a downward trend since its peak of 795 deaths in 1987, to a low of 253 deaths in 2013. Since 2013, the road tolls been steadily rising. The road toll in 2016 was 328 road deaths. as at 6 November 2017  the provision road toll for 2017 is 332 deaths. 

• Speed, alcohol, failing to give way or stop, and inattention continue to be the main contributing factors in fatal and serious injury crashes. In recent years, there has also been a significant increase in the number of people killed who were not wearing seat belts.  The age and technology standards of a vehicle also contributes to whether or not there is an injury or fatality as a result of the crash. 

Road Injuries: A crushing burden on Children

Safety's on the world's roads has reached a critical crossroads. The number of motor vehicles is expected to double by 2030, resulting in more than 2 billion vehicles driven worldwide. 

Drivers awareness around schools

• Slow Down. Around schools, make sure you're always ready to stop quickly, as children can behave unpredictably. 
• Park legally. Don't park or even stop briefly, on broken yellow lines. You will be blocking the ablity of other drivers and child pedestrians to see one another. Double parking is also very dangerous, and exposes children to on-coming traffic. Always obey the parking regulations, including time restrictions. 
• Drop off early. You can avoid congestion at the school gate by dropping off your children off
  
  
  earlier rather than later.
• Alight on the left. Have children get out of your vehicle on the footpath side of the car.
• Stop for pedestrians at pedestrian crossing. If a school patrol is operating, stop only when the stop sign is extended onto the road. If the patrol is not operating, stop for any pedestrian waiting at a zebra crossing. Be careful about stopping for pedestrians at courtesy crossings - oncoming vehicles behind you may decide to pass you, putting pedestrians at risk. 
• Always be on the lookout for children. Nationally, the highest number of child pedestrians are injured between 2pm - 4pm. 

Waterloo road is a very dangerous road not just in the morning but especially when school finishes. I sometimes find myself standing in the middle of the road worried knowing there are cars in front of me and behind me, trying to cross the road safely while other cars are pulling out of driveways and streets. Not only does this affect Hornby High students, there is also a preschool and primary school which makes it extremely dangerous. I think we need to do something about this or else it's too late, knowing that everyday we are putting students in danger by crossing Waterloo Road, with heavy vehicles such as trucks coming down Waterloo Road.