SPOTLIGHT ON CHILD SAFETY AROUND SCHOOLS

With the summer school holiday period ending the 40 kilometres per hour school zones are now back in force on all roads outside schools and motorists are reminded to slow down and take extra care when driving in school zones especially when children are making their way to and from school.

Strathbogie Shire Council maintains eight school crossings within its municipality and as part of a State wide initiative Council Rangers and Police will be conducting random patrols around local schools over the next few months to ensure that motorists are adhering to the Road Rules.

Parents and carers driving children to and from school are encouraged to ensure children's safety by:

Parking in legal parking areas.
Not parking within 20 metres of the approach side or 10 metres of the departure side of a school crossing (whether or not no stopping signs are installed).
Never parking or dropping children off on the school crossing, no matter how briefly.
Never double parking or parking in bus zones.
Never parking on a resident's nature strip or over a driveway.
Avoiding calling out to children from the opposite side of the road.
Insisting your children get in and out of the car from the rear kerb side door, to keep them out of the traffic flow.
Better still, park around the corner and walk with your children to the nearest school crossing or walk your children all the way to school whenever possible.

Stopping your vehicle too close to a children's crossing may mean that a child entering the crossing can't see or be seen by an approaching vehicle. Children are very unpredictable and restricting other motorist's view of the area around a crossing by parking on or next to it, even for a short time, to pick up or drop off children can be extremely dangerous.

Stopping in a no stopping area even momentarily to let a child out or pick a child up is an offence and as a result of numerous complaints Council Rangers have been instructed to issue Infringement Notices to offending drivers.

Infringement notices issued near schools are posted to the registered owner of the vehicle this ensures all offending vehicles receive notices rather than just those that the issuing officer is able to approach.

Strathbogie Shire Council's Manager Regulatory Services said "This is not a revenue raising exercise children's safety is paramount to us and their safety can be greatly improved by all drivers ensuring they obey the rules in the vicinity of school crossings and parents, carers and schools ensuring all children are educated on crossing the road".

Further information on road safety is available by visiting www.vicroads.vic.gov.au or call Strathbogie Shire Councils Regulatory Service team 1800 065 993.

For more information: Marli Kelly on 0409 410 178 [22 February 2007]

For details/interview call the Editor on (03) 5798 1858