NRMA Grant Helps Combined Council Campaign Keep Kids Safe

Author: NRMA MotoringDate: 02 February 2009

Mosman Council will receive a share in a $5,000 NRMA Motoring & Services Community Grant for an important 'combined council' road safety campaign aimed at keeping kids safe around schools.
NRMA Director, Geoff Toovey said the Safety Around Schools campaign was a valuable safety initiative that highlighted the importance of driving and parking safely around schools.

"Motorists need to be more aware of where school zones are and stick to the 40km/h speed limit which is in force weekdays from 8am to 9:30am and 2:30pm to 4pm," Mr Toovey said.

"Kids will be much safer if motorists simply slow down in and around schools and park legally and safely.

"School is back and NRMA is proud to be able to help Mosman Council with this important campaign to keep students safe."

Mosman Mayor Cr Dom Lopez said it was imperative that parents and all motorists comply with the road safety rules around schools to ensure the safety of all children.

"If parents and carers all jump in and cooperate, then this campaign will be very successful in keeping our kids safe," Cr Lopez said.

The Safety Around Schools campaign encourages parents to comply with parking regulations around schools and consider parking further away. Parents walking to the gate to pick up their children from school ensure a safer environment around school and may avoid parking and speeding tickets. The NRMA grant will be used to purchase road
safety banners that will go on school fences in Term Two.

To start the year Council has now updated all signs around schools in drop off and pick up areas to a new fluoro type sign. This is to make parents more aware of the areas in which they are able to stop and drop off their children safely.

Drivers must abide by the No Parking rules in these drop off pick up areas: they are allowed to park there for two minutes and be within three metres of their car. If after this time their child has not arrived they are encouraged to go around the block or park in a legal area of the no parking area and walk to pick up their child.

Mayor Dom Lopez said ignorance of parking signs was not an excuse for the misuse of school drop off and pick up areas.

"The new fluoro signs are visible and parents are responsible for ensuring that they use them correctly and safely," Cr Lopez said.

Speed advisory boards will also be placed outside schools to remind motorists of the 40km/h speed limit. Police will be doing enforcement around all schools not only for speeding in school zones, but for other illegal behaviours such as mobile phone use and not wearing seatbelts.

Manager of Ranger Services, Colin DeCosta said motorists could lose up to four demerit points for parking offences in school zones and face fines from $243 to $324, while speeding motorists could lose between four and seven demerit points and be fined up to $1784. In some cases speeding motorists could automatically lose their licence.

A parking booklet outlining penalties for parking illegally will be distributed to all parents and carers and posters will be placed on school fences to remind parents of the road rules. Other resources from the Roads and Traffic Authority will also be available to schools to help provide up to-date-road safety information to school communities.

Over the last three years, the Safety Around Schools project has been jointly funded by Mosman, Ku-ring-gai, North Sydney and Willoughby Councils and the Roads and Traffic Authority.

NRMA Community Grants give communities an opportunity to develop solutions to local road safety problems that are important to them. This year NRMA has awarded $100,000 worth of road safety grants to 24 community groups and councils throughout NSW.