School zone safety is everyone’s responsibility
Getting to and from school should be safe for tamariki of all ages.
Unfortunately, unsafe driver behaviour is creating an environment that puts children at risk. What is most concerning is that much of the potentially dangerous and risky behaviour we see does not come from traffic passing the school, but from parents themselves during the busy drop-off and pick-up periods.
The array of unsafe driver behaviours we witness is staggering. Every day we see parents parking on yellow lines, blocking sightlines, stopping over driveways, and carrying out unsafe U-turns. These actions create constant near-miss situations as they make it harder for children to be seen as they cross the road. Mobile phone use, impatience, and speeding further add to the danger. In a recent Dunedin police speed sting I read about, more than 200 motorists were caught exceeding the school zone speed limit in just 30 minutes. While this behaviour might be common, it’s far from acceptable.
From January 2026, schools in Nelson will have new variable speed limits, reducing speeds to 30km/h during peak school times. This is a positive and welcome step. However, no speed limit change or traffic-calming measure will ever be as effective as a change in behaviour.
Children learn by example. When adults rush, bend the rules, or ignore safety measures outside schools, we are teaching tamariki that this behaviour is acceptable. Keeping children safe requires parents to slow down, park legally, stay off their phones, and put safety ahead of convenience and haste.
Every school journey should end safely. A few extra minutes of patience can be all it takes to make it does.
