Litespeed

School zones are often a Joke. Here in Sydney, major arterial roads have them. The school will have big fences stopping the kids crossing and often no actual exits onto the main road but we go from 70 down to 40. Some not only have the fences plus a fence on the medium strip and a overhead walk bridge- but still have a bloody school zone. They just seem like a way to hunt drivers money and have no bearing on the conditions present. The biggest risk seems to be the parents in 4wd monsters, cause we all know you need a Landcruiser etc to cross that stream getting to Coles in Sydney. More kids seem to die from their parent running them over in home driveways.

Geoff, That just don't speed line, does not cut it. What could be a fair way to improve safety is manifestly used for revenue raising and has little bearing on road safety. We have lower limits on the open road in many places than 30 years ago. Cars are far safer but they treat us all as morons and cash cows. We spend to much time worrying about 5 different speed zones on a 3 km stretch of road-(none of which make apparent sense) than what is going on outside the car. This causes accidents and lots of them, sticking to a arbitrary speed number does not make you safe. Driving properly for the conditions does- that includes eyes on the road not staring at the speedo. Cars are driven by VFR not IFR but the rules push us to IFR. Speed has never killed anyone, it is excessive speed for the conditions. Some research has even showed artificially low speed limits do actually kill. Drivers get distracted easily, bored,tired and make fatal mistakes. They get lulled into a false sense of safety- hey I am at the limit so must be safe. OR they get frustrated and overtake dangerously and bang. If we drive to the conditions of the road,traffic,the car and our ability- we are focused on the job-driving safely. To say just follow the rules, is a very simplistic view for a complex issue.

Don't forget the mongrels changed the rules so it is now in 10kmh increments, not 15kmh. So 11kmh over is now a under 20kmh over fine and points. From the same bunch that promised if elected they would get rid of cameras as they were just raising revenue. So they removed a few and then added over 100. Add to the fact getting caught unlicensed because of a parking fine or anything else owed to NSW corruption inc. and the fines are far exceeding a drink driving charge. Why? All about safety naturally- anyone who forgot to vote or pay a parking fine is obviously a menace to society. Drink drivers- nah just misunderstood the rules that's all. Welcome to the convict state.

Welcome to NSW the Penal state. It is just more of the bushrangers collecting money and punishing the masses. I do remember a fast and furious lap or more in my old Alfa years ago- what a blast. But would have been jailed for it these days. It is like the old Pacific Hwy, a 100kph road demoted to 60kph as it is now used mainly by motorbikes. The new limit makes big fines for the state coffers and punishes what was once safe and legal. Meanwhile on the motorway next door.......... So what was once 105 in 100 zone was cool it is now instant loss of licence and massive fine for 45kmh over. Just love been treated like a criminal.

I won't quote Turboplanner but are you serious? We all have a right to public education and if you wish to go private then fine but it should be entirely privately paid. The argument they provide a education so should get the same money is complete crap. They accumulate assets, often have huge capital on investment and even get interest free loans for capital works off the government they never actually have to pay back. State schools cannot get freebee capital to build great sports halls or even barometric chambers (kings school) or Olympic pools heated and indoors or libraries that universities could only dream of . Any money that flows to them is lost to the public for private benefit, state schools are owned by the people of the state.State schools have to account how they spend the money, private schools are exempt from even basic transparency. Religious schools of a particular faith have proven time and again to have No moral compass at all and feel they are above the law. Just look at all the systemic abuse that is been exposed and their attitude to it. They can't even be sued for damages. Governments of state and federal have consistently abused the public system and favored often illegally the religious schools. The idea of church and state been separate like the constitution demands is a fraud. Instead of getting counsellors in schools we can only get a religious pastor/chaplain- even in a state school. Children are forced to have religious education in state schools- scpriture and are actually banned from having ethics classes instead at the same time. So they go do nothing by edict of the government. About ten years ago the catholic schools got funding to increase the wages of teachers from the government on the basis they provided religious education and thus should be paid more that state school teachers. Another example of federal money going to pay for religion by stealth. Now the wages gap from state to private schools is 10-25k a year different. Who losses out? - the public system and those that support it. How do I know? I am a teacher by trade. There is no such thing as equity in funding between the systems, nor equity in intended outcomes either educationally, ethically nor legally. Today the dimwits in Canberra floated up the flagpole the idea that state school places should be means tested. This would mean the better off would flock to the private system and even further degrade the public system. They immediately denied it was a serious idea but then said it is up to the states to do it. IF a parent wishes to impose a belief system based on imaginary beings in the education of their child that should be up to them to pay for it not us. Where else in life do we insist the right of the delusional to be paid for by the public?