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Canberra Today 15°/16° | Friday, March 29, 2024 | Digital Edition | Crossword & Sudoku

The deadly risk of speeding in school zones

Photo: Senthan Thani

SPEEDING by five kilometres an hour increases the likelihood of a crash and the severity of any injuries to a driver or pedestrian, warns Transport Canberra acting deputy director Ben McHugh. 

His warning comes ahead of the start of the school year (February 1), where the school zone 40km/h speed limit will be back in force, 8am-4pm, Monday to Friday.

“Pedestrians have been shown to have a 90 per cent chance of survival when struck by a car travelling at 30 km/h or below, but less than 50 per cent chance of surviving an impact at 45 km/h,” Mr McHugh says. 

From Monday, he says Access Canberra inspectors and their mobile camera program, will also be patrolling school zones to enforce safe driving and parking behaviours.

The mobile camera program, he says, has reduced crashes by about 22 per cent, equating to a prevention of 120 casualty crashes and more than 2900 property damage crashes, saving the community more than $60 million in crash costs a year.

Parents shouldn’t forget the importance of parking safely and legally either, says Mr McHugh. 

“Parking across pedestrian crossings, corners, verges and double parking can block kids seeing the road and this can be fatal,” he says.

“If you want to avoid the school zone traffic all together, consider walking or riding to school either from home or from a nearby partway point.

“Partway points are designated drop-off areas within a short walking distance from schools where students can walk from if walking from home is not practical.”  

Partway points reduce congestion and increase safety around schools and help to make the school drop-off and collection run easier and faster, he says.

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