EXTRA CARE URGED AS SCHOOLS RESUME
With thousands of Tasmanian students returning to school this week the State Government today made a special plea to motorists to watch out for children and to slow down when driving through school zones.
The Minister for Infrastructure, Graeme Sturges, repeated a plea he made last month for Tasmanians to make road safety their Number 1 priority in 2009.
¿We have already seen 12 people die on our roads since the start of the year,¿ he said.
¿It is vital that people make a commitment to ensure that this trend does not continue.
¿The safety messages have not changed, but people¿s attitudes must change if we are to save lives on our roads.
¿That simply means ¿ don¿t drink and drive, don¿t speed, always drive to the conditions and give the driving task your full attention.¿
Mr Sturges reminded motorists that by law, they must slow to 40 km/h when within 50 metres of a school bus displaying flashing warning lights ¿ whether the bus is stopped or moving.
¿While school bus travel is statistically quite safe, children are at greatest risk when getting off or on buses,¿ he said.
¿Children need to be reminded that it is important that they wait until the bus is gone before they cross the road and not walk in front of the bus.¿
He said that to increase motorists¿ awareness of the 40 km/h speed limit through school zones, flashing electronic speed limit signs were being progressively installed across the State as part of the Tasmanian Road Safety Strategy.
Mr Sturges also reminded parents that they too had a role to play in ensuring the safety of schoolchildren.
¿Don¿t park too close to school crossings and take care when dropping off or picking up your children from school.
¿If possible parents should park the car on the same side of the road as the school so that children don¿t have to cross the road. If this is not possible, children should get out through the passenger side door to avoid passing traffic.
¿Parents should remind children to use school crossings, pedestrian crossings or traffic lights wherever they can.
¿If no crossing facilities are available, children should be helped to choose a spot where traffic can be seen in both directions and where they are clearly visible to motorists.
¿Young cyclists should only be allowed to ride to school when they have demonstrated the ability to handle traffic.
¿If your child rides a bike to school, check a safe cycling route between home and school and familiarise your child with likely problems.
"Check their bikes for roadworthiness, ensure they wear bright clothes to increase visibility and remind them that they must wear a helmet at all times while cycling,¿ Mr Sturges said. | 
