Photo: Jonathon Leask
A majority of New Zealanders want lower speed limits around schools and other high-risk areas, according to a NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi commissioned survey.
This is despite the government going ahead with plans to remove all blanket speed limit reductions introduced under Labour in 2020, which would raise school zone speed limits at certain times of the day.
A spokesperson for the lobby group NZ School Speeds, Lucinda Rees, said the government should listen to New Zealanders.
Roughly half of survey respondents supported a 30km/h maximum school speed limit in urban areas - 20 percent said it should be 20km/h - 26 percent said 40km/h.
Rees said only mandating slower speed limits during pick-up and drop-off times is "just stupid".
"It should be 30km/h outside every school throughout the country.
"That is the maximum speed a child could be hit and survive."
Rees also opposed higher speed limits on roads leading up to school zones in rural areas, which can be up to 100km/h.
"It is much too fast. It should be no more than 60km/h within three kilometres of a school."
Speed limits should be consistent to keep children safe travelling to and from school, Rees said.
"It needs to be embedded in people's minds that the maximum speed limit outside a school is 30km/h."
Rees, who has been campaigning to reduce speed limits around schools for fifteen years, said it has been and hard road.
But she was hopeful people were showing strong support for lower speeds around schools.
"The ministers need to listen to New Zealanders.
"Most people respect the way children behave on a road. Children need to have an opportunity to walk and bike to school."
She said the government should make child safety a priority.
