Have you ever missed seeing a school zone sign?

Have you ever driven in an unfamiliar area and suddenly realized you were speeding in a school zone and thanked your lucky stars you were able to slow down before anything happened?

Most drivers at one time or another will have experienced that slight jolt of shock when they have driven past a school while doing what they think is the legal speed limit and then realized the limit was in fact 40km/h.  Sometimes the sinking feeling will have been replaced by a sense of profound relief if the school zone was not in operation at the time or if no speed cameras were in sight; however you can bet many people have been caught unawares, fined and lost demerit points.

Slowing down to 40km/h in a school zone makes sense.  In any area where many children congregate drivers have to be on the alert for the unexpected to happen. That is why signs alerting drivers to school zones are so important.  Most drivers want to do the right thing and will immediately slow down if they see a school zone sign. But here’s the challenge – you have to be able to see the sign.

In 2009 the NRMA audited school zone signs in Sydney and found that four-in-five did not meet the acceptable standard.  Last week we audited the same signs and found an improvement with now one-in-five signs not up to scratch. It’s an improvement but still a long way to go.  All school zone signs should be upgraded and clearly visible to drivers and the NRMA will be pushing for the RMS (formerly the RTA) to make this happen by the end of the year at the latest.  We’ll also be keeping up the pressure for more flashing lights.

So what makes a school zone sign of an acceptable standard?  Well a sign is definitely not of acceptable standard if it faded, cracked or hidden behind trees or billboards. The colour of the sign is also extremely important.  After its 2009 audit of school zone signs, the NRMA recommended that all signs be upgraded to a fluorescent yellow green colour.  This colour really stands out and can first be seen by drivers at a distance of 130 metres compared with 75 metres for non-fluorescent signs.  That extra warning time is critical to improve safety and also help motorists avoid speeding fines and points.  In fact, the previous NSW Government agreed with the NRMA and directed the RTA three years ago to replace all faded signs and upgrade to the fluorescent yellow green colour.

The NRMA will continue to push for all signs to be upgraded by the end of the year but everyone should keep the pressure on the RMS to do the right thing. If you see a school zone sign that is not up to scratch and clearly not doing the job it was designed for please report it to the RMS at saferroadsnsw.com.auand let them know the community is watching.

Have you seen any concealed school zone signs in your area?