School’s back, and so are 40km speed restrictions in school zones

AS VICTORIAN students are returning to school this month after six weeks of summer holidays, Victoria Police are reminding drivers to take extra care in and around school zones.

School zones are designed to keep kids safe by lowering the speed limit when children are travelling to and from school.

Senior Constable Dee Kuchenmeister from the Geelong Community Engagement Unit said: “As some of our younger school students can be unpredictable and are still learning about road safety, it is important that all road users adhere to the 40kmh speed limits during the designated times and remain alert when travelling through school zones to keep our most vulnerable road users safe.”

Victoria Police are also encouraging parents to take the time to practice road safety with their children before assessing whether they are ready to travel independently to school.

“It is important for parents to practice the route their child will take to school multiple times before they are allowed to travel independently,” Senior Constable Kuchenmeister said.

“This will allow parents to assess if their child is remembering to ‘stop, look, listen and think’ without prompting and that they are travelling the safest route, which should include school crossings or traffic lights where possible.”

Senior Constable Kuchenmeister also recommended taking the time to have a conversation with your child about what they should do if something goes wrong when travelling to school.

“It is also important to talk to your child about where they should go or who they should talk to if they feel unsafe or something happens while they are travelling to and from school,” she said.

Some helpful hints for parents during back-to-school transition:

Supervise children in or near traffic, teaching them to “stop, look, listen and think” before they cross the road and to use school crossings and traffic lights wherever possible

Walk or cycle to school with your child until you are satisfied, they are responsible enough to travel alone or with friends

At pickups, wait on the same side of the road as your child, and

Encourage your child to use the kerbside doors when entering and exiting the vehicle.

//SPONSORED CONTENT