Insurer RACQ is urging drivers to back off the accelerator this new school term, as new research revealed thousands of motorists were caught speeding through school zones in just one year.
According to data collected by the Department of Transport and Main Roads, 11,885 people were caught travelling more than 13km/h over the speed limit in Queensland school zones between Oct. 31, 2016 and Nov. 1, 2017.
Brisbane Police Region logged the highest number of school-zone speeding drivers (4,351 drivers), followed by South Eastern Police Region (3,200), Central Police Station (2,047), Southern Police Region (1,631), and Northern Police Region (640).
“It’s extremely concerning more than half the total number of infringements were for drivers going well over the 40km/h school zone speed limit,” said Lucinda Ross, RACQ spokesperson. “It’s frustrating so many people are willing to risk the lives of our most vulnerable. There’s no excuse for speeding through a school zone.”
Ross urged drivers to maintain 40km/h in school zones on weekdays during pick-up and drop-off times, from 7-9am and 2-4pm, to avoid not just fines but also the more catastrophic consequences.
“It can take children years to learn about spatial awareness and interacting safely with traffic, so it really is up to us, as drivers, to be alert and prepared for anything,” Ross said.
