Road Safety Reminders

Keeping your child safe when driving to and from school

Here are a few tips to help keep your child and others safer at the beginning and end of the school day:

• Make sure your child is fastened in a child car seat that is suitable for their age and size. The seat should also be correctly fitted in the vehicle. 
• Stay under the 40km/h speed limit in school zones and look out for children who may be about.
• Watch for flashing lights on buses. They let you know that the bus is picking up or setting down children who may be crossing or about to cross the road. You must slow down to 40km/h when bus lights flash, unless a lower speed limit applies.
• Always give way to pedestrians particularly when entering and leaving driveways. 
• Slow down and prepare to stop near any crossings around the school. At a supervised crossing, follow the directions of the school crossing supervisor.
• Always park and turn legally around schools. Manoeuvres such as U-turns and three-point turns are dangerous during busy school drop-off and pick-up times.
• Drop your child off and pick them up on the school side of the road. Calling out to them from across the road is dangerous – they may run to you without checking for traffic. 
• Always help your child get in and out of the vehicle through the ‘Safety Door’. The ‘Safety Door’ is the rear kerb side door of the vehicle. It is away from passing traffic and safest for your child.

Children learn safe road user habits from you and will continue them when they are old enough to travel alone.

For more information on keeping children safe in the road environment visit the families section on https://safetytown.com.au