School speeds warning

THE roads outside three Townsville primary schools have been identified as hot spots for speeding drivers.

Police say the worst areas for traffic offences were outside the Weir, Kirwan and Oonoonba primary schools.

Townsville Road Policing Command officer- in- charge Senior Sergeant Brendan White urged drivers to slow down at the city’s school zones.

“If you’re over the speed limit, it takes a long time to stop,” he said. “If a child would step out a driver would have no hope of stopping in time. You’d just run them down.

“Speeding is unacceptable on our roads at any time but it is abhorrent that so many motorists put children’s lives at risk by schools.”

His comments came after the latest figures on speeding motorists at the city’s school zones showed 27 drivers were fined during the first week of the term.

There were 12 fines for under 13km/ h; 13 between 13km/ h and 20km/ h and two between 21km/ h and 30km/ h.

“Drivers have to acknowl- speeding around edge that, especially around primary schools, young children don’t have a lot of road sense,” he said. “Children are prone to running out or doing something unexpected, so if a driver is breaking the law and speeding through a school zone, it’s not a matter of if a child will be injured or killed, but when that will happen.”

Sen- Sgt White said another major problem around school zones in Townsville was the issue of parents parking illegally.

“Of course there are parking complaints for every school,” he said. “Parents need to know that illegal parking can kill as well. No- parking zones are there for a reason.

“Parents don’t seem to think about their actions and the repercussions of their actions. They just want to park as close to the school as possible to drop their children off.

“Everyone seems to be in such a hurry that they ignore the rules.”

Sen- Sgt White said it was only luck that a child in Townsville had not been injured or killed outside a school.

“It’s only pure luck that we have not had an injury or death near a school,” he said. “But unfortunately, at some stage, that luck will change.”

Sen- Sgt White said police would continue patrolling school zones during the term.