Member for Hawkesbury Dominic Perrottet is reminding motorists to slow down in school zones in Hawkesbury as NSW students return to schools throughout the state from Monday.
“School children are some of the most vulnerable people on the road and 40km/h school zones are an important way to keep them safe as they make their way to and from school,” said Mr Perrottet.
“That’s why some schools in Hawkesbury will see additional sets of flashing lights installed to improve road safety for children travelling to and from school.
“Every school across the state currently has a set of flashing lights as an extra warning for drivers to slow down, and now we’re rolling out another 400 sets of flashing lights for schools with multiple busy entrances.
“We know that a car that hits a pedestrian at 50km/h is twice as likely to kill someone as a vehicle travelling at 40km/h, and casualties in school zones have dropped by around 30 per cent since these zones were introduced.
“In addition to 40km/h school zone speed limits, we also have tougher penalties that apply in school zones, and we’ve installed pedestrian crossings, dragon’s teeth and fencing to stop young people from crossing where it isn’t safe.”
Most school zones in NSW operate from 8am to 9.30am and 2.30pm to 4pm, but a small number operate at different times. School zones with different operating times have different coloured signage and operating hours clearly displayed.