Media Release
Tuesday 11 February 2025
Parents Open to Lower School Zone Limits
At its February board meeting, the Tasmanian Association of State School Organisations (TASSO) discussed the proposal to reduce speed limits in school zones to 30 km/h. This conversation follows recent commentary from RSAC Chair Scott Tilyard and Transport Minister Eric Abetz.
John Allan, President of TASSO advised today “While we have not yet made a formal decision to support a blanket reduction to 30 km/h, we are not opposed to the idea.”
Mr. Allan explained the position “The overarching goal is to make school commutes safer for children, which we fully support. However, as we are not traffic engineers or road safety experts and given the lack of detailed information in the current proposal, we believe it’s important to defer to the experts and local school communities to determine the best approach to achieve safer roads around their school.”
Many School Associations across Tasmania have long advocated for improved safety measures around their schools. These efforts include conducting audits, gathering community feedback, identifying potential improvements, circulating petitions, and engaging with councils and the Department of State Growth.
“School associations have consistently called for tailored safety enhancements, such as traffic-calming measures, raised wombat crossings, continuous footpaths, better visibility, speed humps, restructured parking, and additional crossing guards. Many have also requested that local police and councils increase enforcement efforts, which tend to improve driver behaviour, at least temporarily. Improving public transport options would also help reduce the number of cars around schools,” Mr. Allan said.
Mr. Allan went on to explain that a uniform reduction in speed limits may not be suitable for all areas, “a one-size-fits-all approach may not be the best solution. For example, schools situated on major thoroughfares may require a more gradual reduction of speed limits, with lower limits applied only near the school entrance. Conversely, some schools located on narrow streets may already have conditions where a 30 km/h limit is already the standard and other safety measures could be more effective in making the roadway safer for students.”
He also noted the challenges of addressing driver behaviour. “Inattention, distraction, and complacency are significant concerns. If drivers are already failing to stop at crossings, speeding, or distracted by their phones, simply reducing the speed limit may not be enough to resolve the issue. We hope all drivers recognise that driving needs their full attention, and that they comply with all the road rules, especially near schools!”
For media inquiries, please contact:
Jessica Bennett
Tasmanian Association of State School Organisations (TASSO)
info@tasso.org.au
(03)62437718
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