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Safety around Schools

Schools and local community places tend to have the highest concentration of children. They are heavily congested with traffic during peak times. Everyone is responsible for keeping students safe when they travel to and from school.

Schools in South Australia are on roads maintained by our local or state government. The Department for Infrastructure and Transport works with councils, schools and other stakeholders to identify, plan, design and implement safety improvements. They do this so that our local streets and roads are:

  • safer for everyone who uses them
  • easier for everyone to get around.

School zones and crossings make it safer for students on their way to and from school. Other treatments such as improved pedestrian ramps and educational signage also help.

School zones

Signs indicating the school zone speed limit are visible. An adult is walking with a pram and two children on the footpath.

In South Australia, school zones apply 24 hours a day, 7 days a week throughout the year. White zigzag lines are marked on the road to show you are approaching a school zone. Signs show the start and end of school zones.

School zones have a speed limit of 25 km/h whenever a child is in the zone or on the road, footpath or median strip. This applies even if they are on a bike or scooter.

A child is any person less than 18 years old or a student of any age wearing a school uniform.

When pedestrians cross the road in a school zone, they should use the 'Stop. Look. Listen. Think.' procedure.

40 km/h school speed limit

Two signs on both sides of the road indicating the 40 km/h school speed limit near schools.

On school days, 40 km/h time-of-day speed limits apply at school drop-off and pick-up times from:

  • 8:00 am to 9:30 am
  • 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm.

Signage on the road will indicate:

  • you are approaching a 40 km/h school speed limit area
  • where the 40 km/h speed limit applies.

40 km/h school speed limits do not replace 25 km/h school zones.

Further information about 40km school speed limits can be found here.

Signs and restrictions around schools

Drivers must not stop at any time for any reason in an area marked 'no stopping' or 'no standing'.

Drivers must not stop in a 'no parking' zone unless they are immediately picking up or dropping off passengers. Drivers must remain with their vehicle and can only be in the zone for 2 minutes or less.

Some schools have drop off and pick up (kiss n drop, pick up/drop off) zones. Some are situated on roads outside the school and others are within school grounds. Check with your child’s school for any rules that apply when using these zones. Be mindful that congestion in these zones increases the risk for children.

All road users travelling in either direction must not exceed 25 km/h when passing a school bus that has stopped to set down or pick up children.

School crossings

Crossings near schools are for students and their families to travel to and from school safely. Learn about each crossing type below and how they operate. Watch South Australian Police's video to learn about being safe at school crossings.

Emu crossings
A bright orange "Children crossing" flag is in the foreground while children and adults cross the road in the background.

Emu crossings have white road markings and red 'Children crossing' flags on red and white posts. You can find them in school zones. Emu crossings are part-time crossings. They are operational when the 'children crossing' flags are displayed.

Flags are displayed during main crossing times, such as:

  • 30 minutes before school starts
  • 30 minutes after school ends
  • during lunchtime.

Flags should be taken down at the end of each crossing period.

Schools may provide school crossing monitors to supervise the crossing of children and adults.

Anyone who uses the crossing should:

  • follow the instructions of crossing monitors if they are in use
  • use the 'Stop. Look. Listen. Think.' procedure before crossing (even when the flags are displayed) before crossing to check that:
    • vehicles and other road users have stopped
    • drivers and other road users have seen them.

Drivers, motorcycle and bicycle riders on the road must:

  • travel up to 25 km/h at any time when children are present on the road or footpath
  • stop for anyone using the crossing or about to use the crossing when flags are displayed
  • not park within 20 metres on approach and 10 metres after an emu crossing on school days or during the school day with some exceptions.
Koala crossings
A Koala crossing at the side of a road is seen. The lights are not flashing.

Koala crossings have white road markings and twin, alternating, flashing yellow lights on red and white posts. Koala crossings are part-time crossings. They are only operational when the yellow lights are flashing.

Schools may provide school crossing monitors to supervise the crossing of children and adults.

Anyone who uses the crossing should:

  • follow the instructions of crossing monitors if they are in use
  • use the 'Stop. Look. Listen. Think.' procedure before crossing (even when the lights are flashing) to check that:
    • vehicles and other road users have stopped
    • drivers and other road users have seen them
  • remember when the lights are not flashing that a driver or other road user is not required to stop at the crossing.

When the lights are flashing, drivers, motorcycle and bicycle riders on the road must:

  • remember that a speed limit of no more than 25 km/h applies between the signs that state 'when lights flashing'
  • stop for anyone using the crossing or about to use the crossing when the lights are flashing
  • not park within 20 metres of the approach and 10 metres after a koala crossing on school days or during the school day with some exceptions.
Pedestrian actuated crossings
Children and an adult are standing next to a PAC button. The adult is pointing at the button. A safety sign is also visible.

Pedestrian actuated crossings have white road markings and are controlled by traffic lights. You can find large, round, metal push buttons on both sides of the crossing. Push button crossings operate 24 hours a day, 7 days a week throughout the year.

Schools may provide school crossing monitors to supervise the crossing of children and adults.

Anyone who uses the crossing should:

  • follow the instructions of crossing monitors if they are in use
  • use the 'Stop. Look. Listen. Think' procedure:
    • Stop – push the button and wait back from the kerb
    • Look – right to check that the drivers have stopped before starting to cross, even when the green 'Walk' signal has appeared
    • Listen – slow beep 'Don't walk', fast beep 'Walk'
    • Think – walk straight across the road, don’t run.

Drivers, motorcycle and bicycle riders on the road must:

  • follow the road speed limit
  • stop on the red signal
  • not park within 20 metres of the approach to a pedestrian crossing or within 10 metres after passing it.
School crossing monitors

School crossing monitors play an important part in road safety. They:

  • give reasonable directions to pedestrian and traffic to ensure safe and efficient movement
  • display stop signs to tell road users they must stop before driving over a school crossing.

Monitors must be:

  • at least 10 years old
  • be trained and authorised by South Australia Police.

Schools can book training sessions or find out more information by contacting South Australia Police:

Road safety education in schools

Please visit the Safe People section for road safety education for schools.