Do you know how school zones work or are you always a little bit uncertain? Don’t get caught doing the wrong thing in a school zone. Find some answers to your questions about school zones.
What is the speed limit in a school zone?
The speed limit in a school zone is 40 kmph during school terms. Any pupil-free days still count as school zone days.
During school holidays, at weekends and on public holidays, the speed limit in a school zone reverts to the usual speed limit. This could be 50, 60 or 80kph, depending on the type of road.
When do school zones operate?
Most school zones operate from 8-9.30am and from 2.30–4pm. Some schools have non-standard school zone times, which are displayed on red or orange school zone signs.
All school zones have at least one school zone flashing light sign.
How do I know it’s a school zone?
School zones are usually marked with ‘dragon’s teeth’ on the road. They also have school zone signs with flashing lights. The 40 kmph limit applies between the ‘school zone’ and ‘end school zone’ signs.
What are the penalties for offences in school zones?
There are heavy penalties for parking, stopping and speeding in school zones. For example, school zone speeding fines range from $238 up to $4,643. However, there are many other penalties for offences in school zones.
See penalties, fines and demerit points in school zones (updated July 2024).
What are the hotspots for school zone speeding?
The top 5 hotspots for school zone speeding in 2024–25 were:
- Woodville Road, Chester Hill – 8,615 fines
- Victoria Road, Ryde – 7,313 fines
- Princes Highway, Kogarah – 5,866 fines
- Hume Highway, Yagoona – 5,691 fines
- Cleveland Street, Moore Park – 5,307 fines
Nearly 70% (over 125,000) speeding offences were during active school zone hours. That means more than 340 drivers each day were speeding in a school zone.
Can you get double demerits in a school zone?
Yes, you can get double demerit points in a school zone for speeding, using a mobile phone, or not wearing a seatbelt. While double demerit points usually apply during public holidays (when school zones don’t operate) they sometimes occur on school days around one public holiday day.
What are the riskiest times in school zones?
The riskiest times are school drop-off and pick-up times. While school zones make children more visible and slow vehicles down, they can’t reduce congestion. This can lead to frustration and risk taking by drivers and pedestrians.
How effective are school zones in reducing child pedestrian accidents?
They have been effective in reducing accidents. The introduction of school zones in 2001 reduced by 46% the number of accidents (ages 5-16) in 5 years to 2008. There is still more to be done. Since 2019, 106 children 5-16 have been hit by vehicles in active school zones. Of these, 2 were killed and 38 seriously injured.
Do school zone offences count when I get a green slip?
Yes, school zone offences count if you accumulated any demerit points. Demerit points tend to be higher for offences in school zones. Demerit points on your driving record can push up the price of your green slip by around $300 for 3 years.
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