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National | Green Party

Green Party pushes for 30 km/h speed limit around urban schools

The Green Party is calling for the government to set 30km/h as the default speed limit around all urban schools.

The Wellington City Council has announced it would consider a 30km/h speed limit across all streets in the city centre. Christchurch City council also lowered the speed limit in the CBD from 50km/h to 30km/h.

Green Party transport spokesperson Julie Anne Genter says, “The Green Party launched a plan on the weekend to make 30 km/h the default speed limit on streets outside our schools where there are many children crossing the road and being exposed to fast moving traffic.

A lower speed limit will save lives, and make the streets safer so parents are happy for their children to walk and bike to school.

The Government's own research shows that children have less than a 50-50 chance of surviving being hit by a car travelling at the current default speed limit of 50 km/h. But, if that car is slowed to 30 km/h they have a 90 percent chance of surviving.”

In 2014, 253 school-age children were seriously injured while walking around their neighbourhoods, and seven were killed.

156 were seriously injured while cycling.