Local schools support electronic speed zone signs
Release date:
1 Jul 2011 Local schools have endorsed the installation of electronic speed zone (ESZ) signs to boost safety for students and alert drivers to lower their speed, Alfred Cove MLA Dr Janet Woollard said today.
“This is a good initiative from the State Government and will hopefully prevent children being hit by speeding cars,” Dr Woollard said.
“There has been support from local schools and parents for the installation of electronic speed zone signs at schools to improve safety for children.
“The electronic speed zone signs are more visible to drivers than static speed signs and help to reduce the number of crashes involving pedestrians or cyclists outside schools.
“The flashing lights make it clearly apparent to a driver that when they are entering a school zone, they must drive at 40km/h.
“At a cost of approximately $40,000 each, it is a small price to pay for saving the life of a child or sparing them from serious injury.”
Dr Woollard called on the State Government to reconsider its eligibility criteria of the speeds zones program to ensure the safety of children and pedestrians are not compromised.
“These electronic speed zones would be particularly useful for schools in the area that have no crosswalks or traffic wardens to assist students, pedestrians or cyclists outside schools,” she said.
According to current criteria, schools will only be considered for the electronic speed zone signs if the main school frontage road, where the school has direct access to the road, has a speed limit of 60 km/h or more outside of School Zone times.
“Parents have asked to have flashing lights installed where they know that drivers continue to exceed the speed limit,” Dr Woollard said.
