Mums + Dads
It is your responsibility as parents or guardians to ensure your child has the lowest level of risk when travelling to and from school.
There are things you can do to help ensure your child’s safety when travelling to and from school. You can make this important responsibility more fun by spending time with your children on this website.
Teach your kids to
STOP, LOOK, LISTEN & THINK
Before helping your child cross the road parents and guardians should remember the rule – STOP, LOOK, LISTEN and THINK.
- STOP back from the kerb.
- LOOK right, LOOK left and LOOK right again.
- LISTEN for cars approaching.
- THINK whether or not it is safe to cross.
- Wait until there is a safe break in the traffic and all is clear to cross.
Drop off & Pick up by Car
Slow down to 40km/h or below in school zones. This lower speed limit reduces the risk and potential severity of a crash.
Drop the kids off and pick them up on the school side of the road in your school’s designated drop-off and pick-up area. Calling out to them from across the road is dangerous because they may run to you without checking traffic.
Make sure when dropping off or collecting your children from school you;
- Park on the same side of the road that the school is on if it is safe and legal.
- You may need to park further away from the school and walk
- Park in a legal and safe spot – stay away from children’s crossings, bus stops and no standing zones.
- Park where your child doesn’t need to exit the car on the roadside
- Remind your child about the danger zone
- If you have to park on the other side of the road remind your child to use the school crossing
- If there is no school crossing, remind your child to STOP, LOOK, LISTEN and THINKbefore crossing the road.
If you need to go inside the school, park further away. Never block a kiss n drop zone or a 5 minute zone- other parents and guardians need to stop too.
Children learn by example- MAKE SURE YOU ALWAYS USE THE CHILDREN’S CROSSING, EVEN IF YOU ARE ALONE.
Take younger siblings across the Children’s Crossing to collect their older brother or sister. That way, they will learn where it is safe to cross if you are not there.
School Zones and School Bus Road Rules Explained
School Zones
Slow down to 40km/h or below in school zones. This lower speed limit reduces the risk and potential severity of a crash.
School speed limit signs operate on official school days, usually Monday to Friday during school terms. The speed limit doesn’t apply when the lights are not flashing, on such days as school holidays, weekends and public holidays.
School zones usually apply over an area. The 40km/h speed limit applies until you pass an end school zone sign or a speed limit sign, even if you turn into another street.
So, if you pass a school zone sign, don’t go faster than 40km/h until you pass either a speed limit sign or an end school zone sign.
School buses
Don’t go faster than 40km/h within 50 metres of a bus with a school bus warning sign and lights. This includes driving behind or towards a bus. Drive carefully and look out for pedestrians, especially school children.
Teach your child to be road smart.
There are a number of stages that a parent/guardian can, and should step through to teach the child appropriate measures to assist in safely crossing the road to return to the family car after school has finished to ensure they are as safe as possible.
Stage 1
- A Children’s Crossing is the safest place to cross the road for you and your child.
- Hold the child’s hand.
- Before crossing the road make sure you emphasize “STOP, LOOK, LISTEN and THINK” and encourage the child to undertake these activities and tell you what they see.
- When it’s safe and clear, help them across the road.
- If a Crossing Guard is present, wait and listen to them. They will tell you when it is safe to cross.
Stage 2
- Ask your child to help you identify a safe place to cross the road. Encourage them to consider the Children’s Crossing first.
- Hold the child’s hand.
- Before crossing the road ensure you emphasize “STOP, LOOK, LISTEN and THINK” and encourage the child to undertake these activities and tell you what they see.
- When it’s safe and clear, help them across the road.
Stage 3
- Ask your child to identify a safe place to cross the road.
- Ask the child to ‘STOP, LOOK, LISTEN and THINK” and ask them what they see.
- When it’s safe and clear, the child can cross the road (remember that up to 10 years of age children should be accompanied by an adult, see below for things to remember).
There are a number of activities including colouring in pages and a quiz, which could be used to help. They will not only reinforce the key messages but also can play a role in developing children’s hand-eye coordination and cognitive skills. A visit to the school crossing is a good way to explain where it is safe to cross.
Things to remember:
- Remind children when walking to school, to USE THE CHILDREN’S CROSSING
- Always park in the safest legal place to ensure the level of risk that your child will be involved in an accident is reduced to zero.
- Research has found that until the age of 12, a child is unable to gauge speed or direction of a vehicle.
- It is highly encouraged that children up to 10 years of age should be supervised and hold an adults hand on the footpath, in the car park or when crossing the road.
- A 5-year-old who is trained in School Bus Safety can demonstrate an understanding of road safety equivalent to a 10-year-old.
- Peer pressure from other children can put your child at risk; make sure you tell your child to not let friends pressure them into unsafe and silly behaviours.
- Slow down near school zones and Children’s Crossings. It is law that a driver must not exceed 40 km/h inside the limits of a school zone or a Children’s Crossing area.
- Code of Conduct and Behaviour Management
Parents and guardians can assist educators and bus drivers in completing and ensuring their child complies with the bus code of conduct and behavior management.
