Helping Make Our Students Safer

The Minister for Infrastructure, Graeme Sturges, today unveiled the latest flashing 40 km/h electronic speed limit sign outside Rosetta Primary School, one of 120 signs that will be operational by the end of Term 1.

“Children are our most vulnerable road users. They can be unpredictable and because they are small, they can be hard to see,” Mr Sturges said.

“The aim of this project is to boost the visibility of school zone speed limit signage and to lessen confusion for motorists as to exactly when the 40 km/h speed limit operates.

“We know that most drivers want to comply with school speed limits to keep our children safe.

“Even a small reduction in travelling speed dramatically increases the chance of a child surviving a collision.”

The project is one of the key initiatives being funded by the road safety levy under the Government’s 10-year Road Safety Strategy.

Mr Sturges said that the signs would be programmed to operate only at times when children are entering or leaving a school and a 40 km/h speed limit is in place.

“The 40 km/h limit flashing circle signs will deliver cutting-edge technology, using high intensity Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs) to boost visibility and featuring wireless communication so that each sign can be remotely monitored and adjusted from a central computer.

“Most of the signs will be operated by solar power, but where conditions prevent this, they will be operated from a 240-volt hardwire connection.”

Mr Sturges said that around 700 school speed zone signs would be progressively rolled out at about 240 school sites over a three-year period, in accordance with priority guidelines agreed following consultation with school and parent bodies.

“The new signs will help improve safety for students crossing the road outside Tasmania’s schools.”