AUCKLAND CITY COUNCIL

MEDIA RELEASE

14 June 2006

Queen Street targeted in hard-hitting road safety campaign

Being Street Smart is the focus for Queen Street over the next two weeks, as Auckland City targets pedestrians and motorists to reduce crashes in the city’s premier street.

The past five years have seen 180 pedestrians injured in road crashes along the length of Queen Street.

Karen Hay, the council’s traffic safety manager, says that although pedestrian-related crashes have shown a small decline in recent years, the council will not rest on its laurels.

“We are committed to improving road safety across the city. Initiatives like our road safety campaigns and special workshops for tertiary students in the CBD have been highly successful, but we must continue to build on this good work.

“Too many pedestrians risk their safety darting mid-block across Queen Street instead of walking to the nearest signalised crossing,” says Ms Hay.

“Drivers are often concerned with finding a park or beating an orange light. This Street Smart campaign is all about teaching people that road safety is a shared responsibility. Pedestrians and drivers must look out for each other.”

The campaign includes bold flagpole banners down Queen Street, large posters in car parking buildings, cross-street banners, and brochures, which will be distributed by colourfully clad campaigners.

The Street Smart campaign will remind people that it is illegal to cross within 20m of a crossing, pedestrians have the right of way over drivers on footpaths and driveways, and pedestrians must not begin crossing when the red man is flashing.

ENDS

Note to editors:

People dressed in campaign t-shirts holding specially designed zebra crossing lollipop signs will be on Queen Street at busy times during the campaign. These bold orange signs have the “Street Smart. Pause. Look. Go.” slogan displayed.

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