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School Photos 2018.
NSW and ACT School Zone Dates and New School Zone Traffic Offences
Most school zones operate from 8:00am to 9.30am and from 2.30pm to 4pm on gazetted school days in NSW and from 8am to 4pm in the ACT.
Notified school days
2018 Term 1 - Eastern Division NSW - Monday 29 January to Friday 13 April (inclusive )
Term 1 - Western Division NSW and ACT - Monday 5 February to Friday 13 April (inclusive)
Term 2 (Eastern and Western Divisions NSW and ACT) - Monday 30 April to Friday 6 July (inclusive)
Term 3 (Eastern and Western Divisions NSW and ACT) - Monday 23 July to Friday 28 September (inclusive)
Term 4 (Eastern and Western Divisions NSW and ACT) - Monday 15 October to Friday 21 December (inclusive).
Dates above include school development days (also known as student-free days) as some students may attend their school on these days.
The 40km/h school speed zones operate across NSW and ACT at all school sites on gazetted school days (including school development days). Motorists should drive no faster than 40km/h through school zones.
School zones operate and are enforced on pupil free days because pupil free days can vary from school to school. Consistent operation of school zones aims to reduce driver confusion, which improves the safety of school children.
There are a small number of non-standard school zone times in NSW and ACT. They are identified by red/orange school zone signs to show non-standard times. Signs at these schools show the times that apply.
Seven new school zone traffic offences.
Get caught queuing across an intersection in a school zone and you’ll now be hit with a $439 fine.
Recent changes by the NSW Government will see seven parking-based offences with harsher punishments when committed in a school zone, with fines increasing by up to 200 per cent.
As of 1 February 2018 the offences include obstruct access to a ramp/path/passageway, stop on/near children's or pedestrian crossing, and stopping within 10 metres of an intersection without traffic lights.
The biggest change is for stopping over a pedestrian crossing or otherwise obstructing access to a ramp, path or passageway. That normally comes with a $110 fine but in a school zone it will sting motorists $330.
On top of this, not parking your car in the direction of travel or parking too close the dividing line in the middle of the road will also lose you $330.
The heftiest fines of the seven changes are for stopping within 20m of an intersection with traffic lights, stopping within 10m of one without lights or stopping near bicycle lights – each attracting a $439 fine.
None of the seven offences attract demerit points when committed elsewhere on the road but in a school zone they each come with two points.
The changes:
1. Stopping in intersection - Under the changes if a driver commits this offence in a school zone they will receive a penalty of $439 and 2 demerit points.
2. Stop within 20m of intersection (traffic lights) - Under the changes if a driver commits this offence in a school zone they will receive a penalty of $439 and 2 demerit points.
3. Stop within 10m of intersection (no traffic lights) - Under the changes if a driver commits this offence in a school zone they will receive a penalty of $439 and 2 demerit points.
4. Stop near bicycle crossing lights - Under the changes if a driver commits this offence in a school zone they will receive a penalty of $439 and 2 demerit points.
5. Obstruct access to ramp/path/passageway - Under the changes if a driver commits this offence in a school zone they will receive a penalty of $330 and 2 demerit points.
6. Not parallel park in the direction of travel - Under the changes if a driver commits this offence in a school zone they will receive a $330 fine and 2 demerit points.
7. Parallel park close to dividing line - Under the changes if a driver commits this offence in a school zone they will receive a $330 fine and 2 demerit points.