Youngsters’ lack of road sense a worry
WE live in an area near Hilton Road and Edgar Street, Claremont.
My wife and I are walking our dog. We are approaching the intersection of the two roads, traffic is very busy, the time is 3.50pm.
Three metro buses arrive almost like clockwork. Two buses park in Edgar Street to drop schoolchildren, and almost 20 children alight and go crazy, swinging scooters around like windmills and scooting off across the roads without a thought about road safety.
Traffic gets heavier and a third bus arrives and drivers have to watch out for scattering kids on the roads.
A couple of nights ago we had an incident when a young male rider was hit by a vehicle while riding his motorised push bike at night.
Many motorists assume that Hilton Road has an 80km/h speed limit. It is bloody hideous.
Schools should teach their children about road safety or else Tasmania’s road death toll will increase.
Where is the discipline for kids, they are dumb towards road safety.
Wake up the kids, don’t just leave it to bus drivers and motorists.
Think and do!
Ray Wakefield Claremont
LOWER SPEED LIMITS
The truck driver who reported that his daily driving to Devonport from Hobart is ‘like Russian roulette’, (Mercury, May 15) raises the issue of many crashes on the Midland Highway in the Deloraine area.
I would like to add that some sections of the Bass Highway near Longford as well has had similar things happening with fatalities in recent years.
All these black spots everywhere should have the speed limits reduced immediately until improvements are
made as well add some speed cameras to make sure the rules are followed.
Over the years it has proved pointless for the road safety speaker and police and politicians to only speak about the five safety items when driving.
Given that we have almost the worst road toll in Australia, shouldn’t the government be implementing on-road safety features with a matter of urgency?
They did it at the beginning of the pandemic.
We could do with more modern road safety signs regarding speed, tailgating and rest areas plus flashing speed limits of approaching vehicles.
Given the amount of red light runners will they ever introduce red light cameras (perhaps this would help to change bad driving habits).
Minister Ferguson if you were to do the above you would at last be seen to be working Towards Zero.
The request to you to lower the
speed limit at the Kempton Midland Highway food outlet and service station would be most helpful.
Warren Robertson Bellerive
BETTER LIGHT NOTION
The state government intends to make permanent a law slowing vehicles to 40km/h when vehicles on the side of the road have their lights flashing.
I gather he’s talking about flashing lights fixed to the roof. I assume they are not only talking about emergency service vehicles which is only common sense but also council and road works vehicles, tow trucks etc.
The problem with some of these latter vehicles, for instance, is either drivers are advised by their workplace to turn these lights on even if nothing is happening or maybe they have left the vehicle and could have walked a mile up the road or across a paddock to check something.
I do agree that cars do need to slow but I also think that any vehicle fitted with flashing emergency lights should have a digital, visible sign built in and switched on displaying the required speed if needed to slow in these circumstances.
Michael Ferguson isn’t the one being pushed up the road by the impatient driver behind who doesn’t give a rats.
Ian Batchelor Margate
SERVICE IS LACKING
When I listen to the radio or watch TV and there’s a break in transmission, I know that the service will be resumed asap without my intervention, because the service provider monitors the service. That’s what service providers do.
Recently I have been driving at night and I am appalled at the number of streetlights in the CBD and on the arterial roads around Hobart that are not working.
We are all financing the operation of these streetlights through our payment of rates to the Hobart City Council.
Tas Networks charge for the installation, energy and the maintenance costs of each streetlight.
Why is it then that they can’t manage to have somebody drive around the main traffic routes regularly and get the broken lamps replaced pronto? Surely they have an obligation to ensure the service they provide is fit for purpose.
I’ve tried reporting broken streetlights to Tas Networks but they require the six-digit serial number on the pole so they can identify it. The light isn’t working so it’s dark – how can I see the number?
Come on Hobart City Council – be assertive and demand the service I am paying you to provide.
Paul Turvey West Hobart