NRMA welcomes school safety package

NRMA Director Geoff Toovey said NRMA had been urging the State Government for five years to look at better ways to alert motorists approaching a school zone - either through a change in the road environment or flashing lights to heighten driver awareness.

?NRMA is pleased the Government has now made the commitment to improve the safety of NSW students,? Mr Toovey said.

From next month the RTA will install the state-of-the-art technology at the following schools:

• Brigidine College/Sydney Grammar, St Ives
• Chatswood Public School, West Chatswood
• North Sydney Girls High School/North Sydney Demonstration, Crows Nest
• Masada College, St Ives
• Gordon West Public School, Pymble
• Epping West Public School, Carlingford
• Frenchs Forest Public School & The Forest High School, Frenchs Forest
• Narrabeen Lakes Public School, Narrabeen
• North Beaches Secondary College, North Curl Curl

The three types of electronic warning devices include:

• High visibility flashing school zone signs with a flashing ?40? sign built into the device;
• Flashing speed warning signs which hang off mast arms over the road, directly in the line of sight of motorists;
• Flashing high-visibility lights to be built into the road pavement within a school zone, similar to an airport runway.

Mr Toovey said NRMA also looked forward to working with the RTA evaluation group to develop criteria for the future operation of school zones.