ORANGE residents were far worse in 2013 when it came to speeding in school zones, with about 281 drivers booked in the Orange local government area - an 84 per cent increase from 2012 when 153 drivers were fined.
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The most common offenders when it comes to speeding in school zones, are parents whose children go to the school Leading Senior Constable Wes Bush said.
The increase in fines was not necessarily because Orange drivers were becoming more complacent, Senior Constable Bush said, rather Orange highway patrol had been “actively” targeting school zones.
As 40 km/h school zones kick into force from Tuesday, Senior Constable Bush urged people to slow down and pay attention to school zone signage.
“There’s plenty of signs around, flashing lights, road markings,” he said.
“They’re prominent and it is easy to tell so there’s no excuse.”
He said people should be reminded one extra demerit point applied to any infringement notice given to a driver in a school zone.
Failure to adhere to school zone speed limits could be costly for motorists, with fines up to $425 for exceeding the zone by under 10 km/h and a loss of two demerit points.
Exceeding the speed limit over 10 kmh could result in a loss of four demerit points and a $531 fine.
The 40 km/h school zones operate from 8am to 9:30am and 2:30pm to 4pm.
Orange and Cabonne Road Safety Officer Andrea Hamilton-Vaughan said the 40 km/h school zone speed limit must be observed even if school children can’t be seen.
“A safe return to school can be achieved if everyone plays a role to protect school children,” Andrea Hamilton-Vaughan said.
Orange drivers gave the government about $533,000 worth of fines for speeding in a school zone in the last financial year.