Police are reminding all road users to be safe around schools, as students return to normal schedules this week. During the COVID-19 restrictions school zones have remained in place as normal, however the number of children in attendance has been greatly reduced.
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Now with school students back in full attendance from today, all road users need to consider the risks to themselves and young people. School zones will become busy this week with student numbers, vehicles, pedestrians, and buses returning to normal frequency. With recent restrictions changing student attendance and impacting on vehicle, pedestrian and bus flows, we can't afford to become complacent for the remainder of the school term.
All road users, including pedestrians, need to consider their own behaviour in school zones; pay attention to the flashing signs, comply with requests from school crossing supervisors, and keep everyone safe on our roads. Can you please assist your local school and police by adhering to the following advice:
- Drivers - to either park away from school and escort students to the front gate, park in designated areas, or heed the kiss and drop zones
- Parents - to hold their school age child's hand, along with younger siblings, when crossing the road and escorting them into school grounds
Police will be patrolling school zones throughout NSW ensuring road users comply with the road rules, keeping everyone safe. Penalties for school zone offences include:
- Drive on path - $457 / 4 demerit points
- Drive without proper control - $572 4 demerit points
- Drive using mobile phone - $457 / 5 points
- Drive with animal on lap - $572 / 4 points
- Stop in bus zone - $344 / 2 points
- Exceed speed more than 45kph - $2636 / 7 points
Finally, due to COVID-19 restrictions, some of our schools are not permitting parents to enter the school yard and advise that school children be dropped at the front gate. These are difficult times and many aspects of our normal life are different. Taking your child into the school yard is one of the things we all enjoy but may not be done for the moment.
Please follow this direction and do not argue with the teacher who may be on the school gate. Teachers are doing their best to manage the children's safety and adapt to the constant changes.
Please support them and have faith in what they are doing, and not challenge the rules in place. We need to work together during this time, as the dangers are too great if we go alone.
