Push for major road rule change affecting hundreds of thousands of Aussies

Yahoo

17-06-2025

Calls are mounting from within the nation's capital to reduce speed limits in school zones and across high pedestrianised areas, amid a rise in "near-misses". The push comes as several other jurisdictions around the country look to make similar changes, with safety experts insisting decreased limits also significantly reduce the likelihood of serious injuries in crashes.
In the ACT this week, concerned mum Veronica said a car zoomed by her in a school zone when she had her "sons in a pram" and "daughter standing right next to me". Veronica is pushing for major reform across the territory in school zones, including wombat crossings. It comes amid mounting calls across the jurisdiction to lower speed limits from 40 to 30 kilometres an hour in school zones.
"I think it would make a huge difference, because it would make the area more welcoming to pedestrians," she told the ABC. "Speed bumps are not close enough to the crossing, and we may need more of them. A wombat crossing [raised zebra crossing]… would really help because it would force cars to slow down right before they got to where children are."
Across the country, various local councils have already implemented speed reductions in school zones and high pedestrian areas, including the bustling inner-city suburbs of Fitzroy and Collingwood in Melbourne, and other major hubs such as Manly and Parramatta in Sydney.
In both NSW and Victoria, proposals have recently been made to broaden these rules. Peter Frazer OAM, whose daughter was killed by a distracted truck driver, is one fierce advocate for reduced speed limits. Speaking to Yahoo News Australia, he argues that lower speeds significantly improve safety outcomes. "People continue to speed through zones, putting our most vulnerable at risk," Peter said.
"When we consider that 40 per cent of all fatalities are also associated with speed, if we were just to concentrate on this number for the next 12 months and get it down by 40 per cent, that would equate to about 550 fewer people being killed nationally."
At 30 km/h, the risk of a pedestrian being killed if hit by a car drops dramatically compared to higher speeds — a key reason health and road safety experts support the change.
Slower speeds also create a more liveable environment, encouraging walking, cycling, and local commerce. In areas such as school zones, shopping strips, and densely populated residential streets, reduced speed limits are seen as a simple and effective way to prevent serious injuries and fatalities while improving the overall experience for all road users.
In the ACT school zones apply between 8 am and 4 pm, Monday to Friday, during school terms. In most other states and territories in Australia, including NSW, Victoria and South Australia, standard school zone speed limits are 40 km/h. But in some parts of Queensland, they're as high as 60 km/h.
Veronica said she's been pushing for changes in ACT school zones, but so far, nothing has shifted. "I've had a near-miss myself... they were supposed to stop at those crossings when the flags are out… they didn't," she said.
Dr James Thompson, a road safety expert at the Centre for Automotive Safety Research (CASR), led a significant study assessing vehicle speeds in school zones across the ACT. The research, published this year, aimed to evaluate current speed compliance and its implications for child safety in these areas.
The study's findings underscored the necessity for stricter speed regulations to enhance pedestrian safety. It revealed that while the existing 40 km/h speed limit in ACT school zones is a positive measure, compliance rates were not optimal, and the actual speeds often exceeded this limit.
The study recommended that the ACT government consider implementing a 30 km/h speed limit in school zones to align with best practices in road safety.
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This recommendation is supported by broader evidence indicating that lower speed limits in high-pedestrian areas, such as school zones, can substantially reduce the severity of accidents and enhance overall safety. For instance, a study by the Monash University Accident Research Centre found that reducing speed limits to 30 km/h in high-pedestrian activity areas could reduce crashes resulting in serious injury by up to 50 per cent.
The full report, "Vehicle speeds through school zones in the Australian Capital Territory," is available for public access and provides detailed insights into the study's methodology and findings.
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