Council to illustrate effects of speeding

Fake blood and speeding cars will be used in demonstrations to show the effect of speeding on a driver’s ability to stop for a pedestrian.

Polystyrene model pedestrians will be pushed in front of cars travelling at 40kmh, 50kmh, 60kmh and 70kmh at different locations around Nelson next week as part of a Nelson City Council road safety initiative.

The demonstrations will be held in the evenings next to parks and the council is encouraging residents to take a picnic and go and watch them.

They will show how far a car will travel with and without ABS braking at different speeds when the driver brakes and will show the consequences of speeding and stepping in front of a moving vehicle.

Councillor Eric Davy said the annual demonstrations were run by the council to make sure people were travelling within the speed limits.

‘‘In other words, you don’t exceed 50kmh because this is the damage that can be done to the human body. At 40kmh you would survive, at 50kmh you will be injured but you have a good chance of surviving and at 60kmh you will die, as simple as that.’’

He said the demonstrations were mostly done around high schools so that students were ‘‘aware of the dangers of motor vehicles against the human body’’.

‘‘These demonstrations are important to show the devastating effects on the human body when it is in collision with a slab of steel such as a vehicle.

‘‘The slab of steel will always win in a contest between it and a human.’’

There will be interactive displays at the demonstrations, which run for about an hour.

The demonstrations are between 5.30pm and 7.30pm on Nile St next Monday, Bisley Walk next Tuesday, Tipahi St next Thursday and Atawhai Cres next Friday.

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