Zero tolerance

By Bridget Brady
SCHOOL is back and so are the speed restrictions.
Police are reminding motorists that school speed zones apply in Casey during scheduled times, and to abide by the restrictions to keep children safe.
Casey Highway Patrol Acting Sergeant Allen Inderwisch said the safety of students was paramount to police, and motorists should expect a zero tolerance for speeding near schools.
The speed limit around schools can be 40km/h from 8am to 9.15am and 2.30pm and 4pm each school day.
Casey Highway Patrol will soon begin Operation JUNO, enforcing speed and safety related offences around schools. Police were disappointed with the results of last year’s operation, picking up more than 300 offences in school zones.
“We’re certainly hoping that we won’t have a repeat of those figures this year,” Acting Sgt Inderwisch said.
“Motorists need to be aware that children, by their nature, can be very unpredictable and can often make decisions that adults wouldn’t and they need to be very careful when driving around school zones.
“We’re urging everyone to do the right thing.”
He said parents also needed to ensure their children were safety savvy while crossing roads.
“We also ask parents not to double-park in school zones. It creates a traffic hazard and problems for the children.”
Some school zones in Casey are permanent 40km/h zones, such as Cranbourne Park Primary School on Tucker Street, while other areas have variable speed limits.
A crossing supervisor was badly injured during a collision in Hampton Park last year, and Acting Sgt Inderwisch said police didn’t want a repeat of that this year.