A new school year is here. Thousands of students across the Southern Highlands will be packing their backpacks, lacing up their school shoes and sharpening their pencils ready for the 2018 school year.
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Schools in the region will re-open for business on Janury 30 or 31. However, most teachers will start the year with a staff development (pupil free) day on January 29. There will be slight variations from one school to the next regarding which grades will start on each day – many schools have a modified schedule for students in kindergarten, Year 7 and Year 12.
There will no doubt be a great mix of emotions –from parents and children – some will be excited to start school for the first time, others will be scared, some will be glad to get back to a normal routine, others will wish the holidays never ended.
But one thing is certain and applicable to everyone - school zones on the roads surrounding all schools will be back in force. School zones in New South Wales will return from January 29, 2018. These zones also operate and are enforced on pupil free days as these can vary from school to school. Most school zones operate from 8:00am to 9.30am and from 2.30pm to 4pm on gazetted school days in NSW.
Motorists must stick to the rules which includes slowing down to the 40km/h school zone speed limit, getting off their phones and respecting no parking/no stopping directives during these times, or be prepared for the consequences.
Those consequences could be penalties including fines and loss of points from your licence or they could be much more devastating such as the injury or loss of life of a young person.
It may seem an extreme warning but school zones are a hive of activity at certain times of the day with children dropped off and picked up at school, parents often navigating the roads in the area with several young children to manage, buses and vehicles coming and going and off course the regular local traffic.
There is clearly alot happening and that split second when a child runs out on the road or is obscured by a vehicle before they step out on the road is a reality.
The rules applicable to school zones are intended to ensure all road users are travelling at a slower speed and on high alert to ensure the safety of everyone in this busy environment. Please stay safe and follow the rules.
