Grow up, drive safe

A refreshed Love 40 road-safety campaign is driving a powerful message to make safe driving around schools a top priority for Tasmanian drivers.

The new campaign titled Grow Up, There’s No Excuse in a School Zone debuted recently across TV, radio and digital media platforms just ahead of the new school year.

Each day in Tasmania, approximately 85,000 primary and secondary students travel to school using a mix of transport – from buses and cars to walking and cycling.

It’s estimated around a third of those students travel to school by bus, a mode of transport that is statistically one of the safest when children are with an accredited driver. However, the risk of injury or death increases three to four times as children embark or disembark the school bus.

Between 2020 and 2024, 13 young pedestrians and cyclists, aged four to 17, were involved in accidents in school zones, including, tragically, one fatality.

To help keep students safe around schools, a 40km/h speed limit is in place during busy pick-up and drop-off times. Schools located on busier roads also have a school crossing patrol officer (SCPO), employed by the Department of State Growth, to guide children safely across the road.

The new Love 40 campaign cleverly features children dressed and acting like adults, delivering familiar excuses drivers often give for not following the rules in school zones. They include:

“Ah, c’mon, it was 9.29am, there were no kids around.”

“I was only a bit over and had a Pilates class to get to.”

“I needed to get on site, got a big job on.”

“I got a message, I only looked at my phone for a second.”

“I was only going 42km, what’s the problem?”

“Oops, I wasn’t concentrating.”

As we move into another school year, it’s vital for all drivers to remember that road safety doesn’t just apply during the first week of school – it’s an ongoing, year-round commitment.

Drivers also need to be mindful of speed limits around school buses. Slowing down near school buses is the law. When approaching a school bus with its lights activated, drivers must reduce their speed to no more than 40km/h within 50m of the bus.

The Love 40 campaign serves as a timely reminder that every school day, whether it’s the start of the year or the middle of the term, students’ lives are at risk.

Each morning, children step out into busy school zones and rely on drivers to follow the speed limits, stop for school crossing patrol officers and be vigilant.

It’s also important to remember that children can sometimes be unpredictable when crossing roads and streets. They might not always pay attention to traffic or follow the usual rules, so it’s important for everyone to stay alert.