After a long summer break, school is nearly back for the year (many parents will be breathing a sigh of relief!). Getting your kids dropped off and picked up on time is a challenge for many of us. Some days it’s a breeze and other days it’s as frenetic as an ant’s nest in a 60-second house-building challenge.
But it’s vital that you remember the rules in school zones to protect our children. We’ve compiled the following information about school zones to remind you how to keep your kids safe during the bustle of drop off and pick up times.
A school zone is the area around a school with a speed limit of 40km/h. Between the ‘SCHOOL ZONE’ and ‘END SCHOOL ZONE’ signs you must obey the school zone speed limit. The school zone limit only applies on notified school days and during the times shown on the sign.
There are many driving and parking manoeuvres that are commonly performed in school zones that are illegal* and endanger the lives of our children. You’ve probably seen them, and maybe even done some. Here’s a rundown of the common ones, along with the penalty.
| Infringement | Fine | Demerit Points |
| Double parking | $325 | 2 points |
| Passing/overtaking vehicle on a pedestrian crossing | $541 | 4 points |
| Making a U-turn without giving way to a pedestrian or vehicle | $433 | 4 points |
| Driving on a pathway or nature strip | $433 | 4 points |
| Stopping in a bus zone | $325 | 2 points |
| Exceed speed limit under 10km/h | $189 | 2 points |
To discourage this type of driving behavior and help protect our children, any driving offence committed in a school zone carries harsher penalties than a non-school zone.
For more information about school zones in your state click on the following links.
*Information in this article serves as a guide only and is based on NSW legislation. For the laws applicable to your state, click on the links above.
