From today, young Territorians are returning to school and motorists are urged to take care around school zones.

Roads around schools are about to become busy again and motorists should keep a watchful eye for children travelling to schools and parents should remind children about road safety.

School zone speed limits of 40 kmh apply between 7am and 5pm on school days, so slow down and expect the unexpected.

Failure to observe school zone speed limits can incur a fine and the loss of three demerit points.

Parents and primary caregivers are encouraged to think about the best/safest options to get students to and from school. A

Student Travel Planner tool has been developed and can be downloaded from roadsafety.nt.gov.au.

Remember that Children’s Crossings are the safest way to cross the road.

If walking your child to school, set a good example and always use the crossings.

Be sure to Stop, Look, and Listen for traffic and Think before crossing. You will be encouraging your children to do the same at times when you are not there to help them.

When children crossing flags are up, motorists are obliged to stop for all pedestrians. 

If children are being driven to school, it is important for all to be properly restrained in the car.

Remember the law requires all children under seven years of age to be secured in an approved child restraint or booster seat when travelling in a vehicle.

The type of restraint required will depend on the age of the child.

Parents should always be mindful to park safely when dropping off or picking up children.

If your child rides their bike to school, make sure they wear a helmet. Not only is this required by law but it could save their life or prevent a serious head injury.

Teach your child to get off their bike and walk across crossings. This is also a legal requirement and it gives them time to Stop, Look and Listen for traffic and Think before crossing.

If children are catching a bus, they need to stay well away from the road and wait until the bus has completely stopped before getting on or off. They should also wait for the bus to move away and Stop, Look and Listen for traffic and Think before crossing the road.

Throughout the year, Hector the Road Safety Cat, along with staff from the Department of Infrastructure Planning and Logistics’ Road Safety team, will be visiting Northern Territory Schools and child care centres delivering these and other important road safety messages to children.

For more information about road safety or school bus timetables visit nt.gov.au/driving  

Media contact: Simone Phasey 8924 7028