Driving in school zones
With school back in session, how much care do you take when you're driving? We’ve put together some helpful tips to make sure you're driving carefully and looking out for pedestrians, especially children.
School days
During school hours there are important road rules that apply. Official school days are Monday to Friday during school terms. While these rules don't apply on school holidays, weekends and public holidays, students and families can still be using ovals and facilities, so always take extra care when driving near school zones at any time of the day.
Speed limit
A speed limit of 40km/h applies in Tasmanian school zones during busier times of the day. Often there'll be a school zone sign that will reflect what these specific times are, or an electronic school zone sign that will use high visibility LED to display the set times. Remember to be vigilant for road signage to help you adhere to speed limits.
Pedestrians
Both pedestrians and drivers need to share the roads safely together. You should always expect additional activity in school zones. Kids are likely to be getting in and out of cars, walking near vehicles and crossing roads. Children’s crossings are designed to make the roads safer to cross. When driving towards a children’s crossing, you need to slow down and be ready to stop for pedestrians.
School bus
School buses carry very vulnerable passengers and drivers need to show consideration when travelling near a bus. When you’re travelling within 50 metres of a school bus that has flashing or warning lights, you must slow to 40 km/h. This speed limit is applicable when you're driving toward or behind a bus from either direction.
Speed humps
You should also be prepared to navigate your vehicle through speed humps when travelling in school zones. Speed humps are intended to gradually lower the speed of traffic to reduce the chances of collision and injury to pedestrians. They can cause significant damage to a vehicle if you're travelling too fast. So slow down and drive over speed humps with caution.
Back to school time affects everyone in the Tasmanian community, so let’s all be mindful to share the road safely together.