Time we put safety first

It was largely to be expected that road safety issues would be thrust into the spotlight with the terrible Bay of Plenty accident involving a school bus and logging truck.

And, as is so often the case, people are quick to suggest action needs to be taken to make logging trucks safer. Without having seen any conclusive investigation into the cause of the crash, in which 35 schoolchildren were hurt, it is surely premature to go making judgments about who or what is at fault.

Yesterday Taneatua School principal Rob Shaw called for greater policing of trucks around schools, saying drivers needed to be aware of the hazards of children getting off buses.

It is a message that will be echoed around the country but we must look beyond a specific industry and take a wider approach.

Forestry, and the logging trucks that come with it, is an issue Wanganui is already acutely aware of.

With 15,000ha of trees set to be harvested between 2020-30, the peak decade, there is some concern over the ability of our infrastructure to cope. Wanganui District Council carried out a study on the effects of forestry on rural roads, which showed it would cost an extra $20 million over 30 years to provide the present level of service.

But infrastructure is only part of the equation; we must also consider the safety of our students, particularly those in rural areas where vehicles are travelling at great speed. Think Mosston, Brunswick, Fordell, Kai Iwi and others.

But it's not exclusively logging trucks - any vehicle is a risk. At Taneatua School, a 5-year-old was struck by a car after getting off a school bus last month.

There may appear to be a lot of logging trucks on our roads but there are also many milk tankers, refrigerated container carriers and general lorries. They are controlled by professional drivers and most industries have guidelines on driver behaviour and speed. So what's to be done to keep our young ones safe?

There is only so much that can be done; speed limits outside school zones, and signs and pull-in laybys for parents dropping off children are part of that equation. As is the flashing-warning sign idea promoted by Rural Women New Zealand as outlined today.

These are among the many ideas that we must continue to seek out to help keep our schoolchildren and other road users safe; they will have a far greater impact than finger-pointing.

Feedback: editor@wanganuichronicle.co.nz