The RTA has joined the Federal Government and child safety organisations in calling on drivers to pay extra attention behind the wheel as more buses and cyclists take to the road, and young pedestrians cross the street.

“It is often extremely busy around schools and I would urge all motorists to pay extra attention to make the roads safer for children,” a spokesman for the RTA said.

“Drivers should be particularly aware of the 40 and 60kmph speed limits around schools and the 40kmph speed limits around school buses.”

Special speed limits apply before and after school in marked zones around schools, with the limit in these zones in all urban areas at 40kmph and 60kmph in some rural areas.

Motorists are also required to slow to 40kmph around school buses when the bus lights are flashing, which indicates the bus is picking up or setting down children.

Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Transport and Regional Services, Ron Boswell, has also called on drivers to exercise caution with the return of children to school.

“It is a terrible statistic that in the past more than 80 percent of children killed in school traffic related accidents are killed on their trip home from school,” the secretary said.

“Previous research and statistics show that more than four out of five child casualties occurred on the trip home from school, the majority of these casualties and fatalities occurring as the children get off their school bus.

“During the past year the trend seems to be similar for school-bound and homeward journeys.”

The Giddy Goanna child safety group has echoed the concerns, reminding motorists children can often be excited and can absent-mindedly rush onto roads.

“Simply reducing a car’s speed from 60kmph to 40kmph increases a child’s chance of survival if hit by 75 percent,” said child safety program author Pam Brown.

“If a child is hit by a car travelling at 60kmph, their chance of survival is nil.”