Council’s ‘Safety over convenience’ program seeks to bring increased awareness to drivers of motor vehicles and to improve safety on public roads outside schools.
School children are some of the most vulnerable members of our community and driving or parking unlawfully puts their safety at risk.
How is this program enforced?
Council’s Rangers conduct high visibility patrols in full uniform and apply a combination of education and enforcement to drivers of motor vehicles observed to be parked in breach of the Road Rules 2014.
Rangers are active in the following 16 school zones across the City of Willoughby local government area:
- Artarmon Public School, Abbott Road, Artarmon
- Mowbray Public School, Mowbray Road, Lane Cove North
- Chatswood Public School, Centennial Avenue, Chatswood
- Chatswood High School, Centennial Avenue, Chatswood
- Mercy Catholic College, Archer Street, Chatswood Chatswood
- Our Lady of Dolours, Archer Street, Chatswood Chatswood
- St Pius X College, Anderson Street, Chatswood
- Castle Cove Public School, Holly Street, Castle Cove
- Glenaeon Rudolf Steiner School Glenroy Avenue, Middle Cove
- St Thomas Catholic Primary School, Horsley Ave, North Willoughby
- Willoughby Public School, Oakville Road, Willoughby
- Willoughby Girls High School, Mowbray Road, Willoughby
- Northbridge Public School, Sailors Bay Road, Northbridge
- St Philip Neri School, Baringa Road, Northbridge
- Naremburn School, Willoughby Road, Naremburn
- International Chinese School, Pacific Hwy, St Leonards.
Safety tips
- Stick to the 40km/h speed limit
- Look for buses pulling out
- Park and turn legally and avoid dangerous manoeuvres such as U-turns and three-point turns
- Always give way to pedestrians, especially when entering and leaving driveways
- Use the school side of the road. Calling out to children from across the road is dangerous because they may run to you without checking traffic
- Make children use the kerb side of the road to get in or out of your car.
Source: Centre for Road Safety
Road rule reminder
Rule 171: A driver must not stop on a children's crossing, or on the road within 20 metres before the crossing and 10 metres after the crossing.
The ‘Think before you park’ program is delivered by Council’s Rangers and operates to bring increased awareness to drivers of motor vehicles about the value and importance of safety and access on the public road system. The program also supports Council’s adopted Disability Inclusion Action Plan.
The program, initiated by Guide Dogs NSW/ ACT, targets issues associated with:
- stopping or parking a motor vehicle on a public footpath, nature strip or driveway crossing, and
- the impact illegal parking has upon people with disabilities.
Moreover, stopping or parking a motor vehicle on a public footpath, nature strip or driveway crossing is dangerous and can cause pedestrians to walk onto roads where their safety may be at risk. Illegally parked motor vehicles can also reduce the line of sight of other vehicles entering or exiting adjacent driveways as well as passing pedestrians and traffic in the street.
How is this program enforced?
In addition to the issue of verbal directions to drivers, Council’s Rangers may issue formal warnings and penalty notices (fines) to motor vehicles that are found stopped or parked in a manner that compromises public safety and breaches the Road Rules 2014.
Road rules reminders - Places where stopping is restricted
Rule 197: Stopping on a path, dividing strip, nature strip, painted island or traffic island.
Rule 198: Obstructing access to and from a footpath, driveway etc.
