Rebecca Ingram, Mullumbimby
The carnage on the back roads around Mullumbimby, Myocum and Byron is awful and increasing. Endangered birds are constantly being killed even when they are on the side of the road.
People need to slow down; they are going way over the 80 speed limit and are not only a danger to other drivers, hitchhikers, cyclists and pedestrians but to our vulnerable wildlife as well. The speed limit needs to be 60 along these roads to protect everyone.
Drive slowly, please, protect our wildlife from being killed unnecessarily. Let’s all just take it easy on the roads.
Thanks for your apt comments Rebecca. Roads such as those around Mullum and the Bay would be 50kph or less in Japan and many parts of Europe. The Shires on the Northern Rivers are well placed to be the first to target zero deaths – as in done in Northern Europe – on the roads they manage, and setting speed limits that are safe for the narrow roads would get better public support than is possible in many rural areas. We also need better policing and attitudinal change around drink and other drug driving, and warning signs on roads frequented by cyclists and pedestrians . It appears too they are also needed for endangered birds.
I agree there should be a speed limit of 50 ks or less.
Yesterday, when the enthusiastic Green Army joined Huonbrook Herbicide Free Volunteers, to conclude the once sprayed jump-seed from road side verges, 2 vehicles did not heed our caution signs and sped through our team. Not only causing verbal reaction from us, for the drivers to then stop and yell abuse at us. As a sometime cyclist on our roads, my hearing determines if I should remove myself completely off the road for my own survival.