Driving near schools

Reminding parents and carers

The beginning and end of the school day are busy times for pedestrians and drivers outside schools.

You can help keep children safe by remembering the following:

• drop your child off and pick them up on the school side of the road
• never call out to them from across the road - it is very dangerous
• always take extra care in 40km school zones
• follow all parking signs - these help keep your child as safe as possible
• park responsibly even if it means you have to walk further to the school gate
• never double park - it is illegal and puts children at risk
• never do a U-turn or a three point turn outside the school as it puts children at risk of harm
• model safe and considerate pedestrian and driver behaviours to your child
• always give way to pedestrians particularly when entering and leaving driveways.

Seven new school zone traffic offences

To help schools keep the school zone safer for all pedestrians and drivers, there are seven new traffic infringements with new fines.   The changes are:

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.

Share these changes with your school community encouraging safer driving and parking behaviours.