Mark Shelton,Minister for Police, Fire and Emergency Management
With thousands of Tasmanian students returning to schools next week, the Tasmanian Government is urging motorists to pay extra attention on our roads and abide by the road rules.
The return to general face-to-face learning will see increased traffic on our roads, and more than ever it is important that drivers pay particular attention to 40k/hr school zones in our communities.
Since the 'Stay at Home' direction came into effect we have seen a traffic reduction of up to 50 per cent on high-volume routes compared to the same period last year.
Next week Tasmania Police will be working across the state to ensure drivers are doing the right thing, particularly near school zones during peak drop off and pick up times for students.
Parents and carers should also take this opportunity to speak with their children about road safety, and ensure they use pedestrian crossings and are supervised where possible.
Key safety reminders include:
- Drivers are limited to 40 km/h in school zones as signed.
- A speed limit of 40 km/hr also applies within 50 metres of a school bus with flashing amber lights, and drivers must slow down to that speed before passing.
- Children being dropped off or picked up near bus stops should be collected from the same side of the road as the bus, a safe distance away.
The Tasmanian Government is committed to addressing the biggest risks on our roads to reduce serious injuries and deaths. That's why we are investingmore than $75 million in road safety initiatives through the Towards Zero Action Plan 2020-2024.
