Foot It campaign is getting results nationwide - how about in our neighbourhood?
It's going to be a beautiful morning pretty much everywhere in the country - so let's get as many kids and their families as possible out of their cars and walking/riding/scooting for this morning's school run. Tell us about it: what are you going to do; how does it work for you? How does it differ from your memories of footing it to school as a kid?
An important plank of our Foot It campaign this year has been to encourage councils to lower speed limits outside schools. Families and schools have been enthusiastic about our initiatives to make it easier for kids to get out of the car. And when we wrote to all New Zealand's mayors in February, they offered resounding support: many wrote back promising to do their best to lower speeds, but cautioning that their hands were tied by NZ Transport Agency rules that (extraordinarily) stood in the way of lower speed limits.
Now, the Government has stepped up too: Associate transport minister Craig Foss has announced new Speed Management Guidelines that will make it simpler for councils to lower speeds on the roads that are busiest with cyclists and pedestrians. Read more from this weekend's Sunday Star-Times: www.stuff.co.nz...
We welcome this. So last week, we wrote to the mayors again (many of whom are new to the roles after the local body elections) challenging them to commit to putting lower speed limits outside schools on their council agendas in the first half of 2017. The Sunday Star-Times and Stuff will report their responses, whether they be good or gutless.
It's not just about the Government and councils, though: it's about taking responsibility as communities and individuals. So take the initiative: bylaw or no bylaw, if enough of us voluntarily slow down as we drive past schools in our towns and neighbourhoods, that will slow other traffic and make our streets safer for our kids.
TODAY'S WEATHER: We've attached the MetService rain map for this morning. In short, it's a great day to walk, ride or scoot to school with your kids, anywhere in the country. But this afternoon, a pile of rain is going to land, splash, in the middle of the North Island and Hawke's Bay. Don't say you weren't warned ....
THE FOOT IT PLEDGE: We're all busy - but many of us can find ONE day a week when we can scoot or walk with our kids to school. So make the pledge!
Join one of our Neighbourly Foot It clubs - the Monday Club, Tuesday Club, Wednesday Club, Thursday Club or Friday Club – and you'll go into the draw to win one of 50 Micro scooters, valued at up to $179.95 each. www.neighbourly.co.nz...
THE SUNDAY STAR-TIMES SAYS:
* Families: Choose one day a week when you walk, scoot or ride with your kids to and from school.
* Schools: Set up walking buses, with parents and volunteers helping local kids get to class safely.
* Councils: Create and enforce lower speed zones outside every school.
TELL US YOUR STORIES: What's the most memorable experience you or your kids have had while commuting to school? Share your story at Stuff Nation and go into the draw for 20 more Micro scooters. www.stuff.co.nz...
BE SAFE: Tips for a safe school run. www.microscooters.co.nz...
⚠️ DOGS DIE IN HOT CARS. If you love them, don't leave them. ⚠️
It's a message we share time and time again, and this year, we're calling on you to help us spread that message further.
Did you know that calls to SPCA about dogs left inside hot cars made up a whopping 11% of all welfare calls last summer? This is a completely preventable issue, and one which is causing hundreds of dogs (often loved pets) to suffer.
Here are some quick facts to share with the dog owners in your life:
👉 The temperature inside a car can heat to over 50°C in less than 15 minutes.
👉 Parking in the shade and cracking windows does little to help on a warm day. Dogs rely on panting to keep cool, which they can't do in a hot car.
👉 This puts dogs at a high risk of heatstroke - a serious condition for dogs, with a mortality rate between 39%-50%.
👉 It is an offence under the Animal Welfare Act to leave a dog in a hot vehicle if they are showing signs of heat stress. You can be fined, and prosecuted.
SPCA has created downloadable resources to help you spread the message even further. Posters, a flyer, and a social media tile can be downloaded from our website here: www.spca.nz...
We encourage you to use these - and ask your local businesses to display the posters if they can. Flyers can be kept in your car and handed out as needed.
This is a community problem, and one we cannot solve alone. Help us to prevent more tragedies this summer by sharing this post.
On behalf of the animals - thank you ❤️
Light up your life
The Karen Walker Paints collection from Resene will see you sprucing up your home in style with this simple but fun project using your favourite Karen Walker testpot colours. Find out how to create your own with these easy step by step instructions.
The Great Kiwi Quiz is back by popular demand
Grab a copy of your local Stuff newspaper between 1 Jan - 28 Jan and participate in the Great Kiwi Quiz! Test your knowledge, answer the daily New Zealand based questions, and find out how well you know our beautiful country!
Each correct answer will get you one entry into the draw to WIN a Weber® Lumin® BBQ Prize Pack, valued at $1098! Each pack includes: an electric BBQ, a stand with a side table, and a cover. The more answers you enter correctly, the higher your chance of winning. For more information and to submit your answers, click here.
The team at Stuff
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