Aussies are being warned to stay alert as a four-day ‘speed fine trap’ is set to catch out unassuming drivers. With students in NSW returning to classrooms on February 2, it might surprise some motorists that school zones will be in force from January 27.
From Tuesday, January 27 to Friday, January 30, pupil free days — or ‘school development’ days — will be underway at public schools in the state’s eastern division. For the western division, the same applies just one week later.
But despite the lack of students on those days, drivers can be hit with fines of $246 and two demerit points for travelling up to 50km/h in the 40km/h school zone.
For schools on busier roads where the speed limit is higher, drivers can be fined:
$443 and four demerit points for exceeding the speed limit over 10km/h
$738 and five demerit points for exceeding the speed limit over 20km/h
$1,429 and six demerit points for exceeding the speed limit over 30km/h
$3,242 and seven demerit points for exceeding the speed limit over 45km/h
School zone speed limits will come into force in eastern NSW at 8am on January 27.
(Getty Images)Sydney schools within 30km/h zones
Drivers in the Manly area will have to pay particular attention to schools within the High Pedestrian Activity Area (HPAA), as the speed limits through the HPAA and the school areas are 30km/h.
While there are signs and road markings to assist drivers, it also means that even those who travel at the usual 40km/h rules could be fined for speeding.
School zones should be ‘treated with care’: expert
Russell White, CEO and Founder of Australian Road Safety Foundation, told Yahoo News that even though a fine might feel “harsh”, school zones should be taken seriously “even if it’s not in a school period”.
“There’s a large number of weeks where people haven’t been going through those zones,” he said.
“And as harsh as it is, if you’re caught doing the wrong thing in that zone, then it’s potentially a learning lesson rather than something serious happening, like somebody being injured or killed.
“On the surface people might look at it and go, ‘it’s a little bit unfair because it’s a pupil-free day’, but really in my view, those zones need to be treated with great care pretty much all the time.”
White agreed that additional campaigning is needed to alert drivers to active school zones, but ultimately said the onus lies on the person behind the wheel.
“Let’s face it, if you’re not doing the wrong thing, you’re not going to get a fine,” he said.
“If you talk to any parent who has lost a child or has had a child injured in a school zone incident, I don’t think you’d get much argument from them.”
School zones should always be taken seriously, even during the holidays, experts say. Source: Getty
(Getty Images)Drivers ‘twice as likely’ to get stung on pupil-free days
Enforcing school zones on pupil-free days is not a new concept.
Figures from 2024 show that an incredible 2,184 speeding fines were issued over two pupil-free days leading up to term one, almost doubling the daily average for February.
Last year, the NRMA referred to the school development days as ‘major speed traps’ for drivers.
At the time, spokesperson Peter Khoury said it was “extremely frustrating” to see otherwise well-behaved drivers cop a fine in school zones with no students around.
“The overwhelming majority of drivers go to great lengths to do the right thing around school zones and school zone speed limits have overwhelming public support — we just don’t want people inadvertently breaking the law and getting fined.
“Confusion and complacency can set in when your children are still at home, yet the school zones apply.”
School zones are in force between the hours of 8am to 9.30am, and 2.30pm to 4pm on all school days.
While it includes pupil-free days, it excludes weekends, public holidays and public school holidays.
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