Numbinbah Valley school begs for lights and signage in their school zone to prevent a deadly accident

CONCERNED parents and community members fear a child will be killed before authorities act to alert drivers to slow down outside this school where cars are regularly clocked at 140km/h.

Students and Parents of the Numinbah State School in the Numinbah Valley say things must change. Picture Mike Batterham

PARENTS at the tiny Numinbah Valley State School have been begging for more than a decade for road markings, flashing lights and warning signs, fearing a pupil will be hit and killed by hooning cars on busy Nerang Murwillumbah Road.

The school community says it is “only a matter of time” before a tragic incident caused by drivers who race “recklessly and dangerously” past, unaware there is even a school with 17 students beside the 80km/h zoned road because of a blind corner.

SPEED LIMITS CHANGE ON GOLD COAST ROAD

Four-year-old Prep student Hamish Slingsby. Picture Mike Batterham

Concerned mother Jess Slingsby started an online petition for flashing lights and signs at the school to protect her young son and prep student Hamish, 4, and his school mates. As of 5pm yesterday there were 560 signatures on the change.org petition.

“We’re dancing with danger — drivers can’t see the school when approaching from the north and regularly speed and overtake dangerously past the school,” she said.

“Our children are just as important as anyone else’s. We just want something to be done as it’s incredibly dangerous and we should be afforded the same rights and safety as every other school.

“We want better signage, school zone lights and road markings to alert drivers that they are entering a school zone.

GOLD COAST SPEEDING HOTSPOTS

Students and Parents of the Numinbah State School in the Numinbah Valley. The school is on a blind corner and currently has no crossing or signage to indicate there is a school there. Picture Mike Batterham

“We want these measures to remind drivers to slow down and drive carefully.”

P & C president Aimee Hennephof said she had been abused by drivers after asking them to slow down.
The Nerang local drives her boys Jaih in Year 3, Theo in Year 2 and Malo in prep, to the school each day and said she was “alarmed” at how many motorists ignored the fact the school was there.

“I have a couple of very rude drivers when I tell people to slow down,” she said.

“I waved at one driver who then had the audacity to turn around and pull up next to my car and start yelling at me.

“With an increase in traffic, escalation of poor driver behaviour and the struggle to simply make drivers aware that there is a school zone here, it’s more important than ever to somehow get the message across.

“I think we have all had a near miss when slowing down or turning on the right side of the road.

Mrs Jessica Slingsby and her son Hamish. Picture Mike Batterham

“Cars can still fly around the blind corner catching us as we turn. It’s only a matter of time before someone is hurt or killed.’’

She said it was not fair on the school, residents, parents and students, and the safety of the kids and families should be prioritised.

School Principal Warren Greinke said he had witnessed many examples of excessive speed in front of the school.

“Needless to say the say the safety of students, staff and parents and carers is always the highest priority,” he said.

“Parents anecdotally have attempted on occasions to signal speeding motorists during afternoon pick up or morning drop-off and this has resulted in unpleasant confrontations.”

Ros Bates.

A Transport and Main Roads spokesman said while Numinbah State School was not prioritised to receive flashing school zones as part of the 2017-18 schedule, the school zone would be reconsidered in future rounds based on the recent concerns.

He said a TMR Road Safety Advisor for the region would contact the school at the start of the new term, in April 2018, to discuss additional safety improvements which can be implemented around the school.

State Member for Mudgeeraba Ros Bates said the reason why the school had waited so long was because the State Government did not see it as a priority.

She said it would cost about $30,000 to install flashing lights to warn drivers.

“Numinbah is the last school in my electorate that needs flashing lights in front of the school,” she said.

Councillor Glenn Tozer. Photo: Jerad Williams

“I got flashing lights for Springbrook (State School) in 2015 but unfortunately the current Government don’t see this as a priority, even though it is.

“There have been 14 (road) fatalities in the electorate in the last few months alone.

“You regularly see drivers doing 140km/h along that road past the school.”

A Department of Education spokeswoman said road safety was regularly highlighted to students, parents and the wider community and the department would continue to work with local authorities to address the issue.

Councillor Glenn Tozer said the Government should act “swiftly” to make roads safer, but declined to comment on whether he would consider allocating divisional funds.