School zone speed compliance in the ACT, Australia: Risks, findings and recommendations for improved safety

Children are among the most vulnerable road users, with pedestrian injuries being a leading contributor to serious trauma and death among children. Due to their smaller physical size, less developed cognitive and perceptual skills, limited road awareness, and unpredictable behavior, children are at heightened risk in traffic environments, even in dedicated school zones with reduced speed limits.

This study analyzed vehicle speed distributions and compliance with posted speed limits across school zone sites near 59 schools in the Australian Capital Territory (ACT), exploring how default speed limits, road features, vehicle class, and school characteristics influenced motorist behavior.

School zones effectively reduced mean vehicle speeds during active periods (8 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the ACT). However, non-compliance remains a concern: 36% of vehicles exceeded the 40 km/h limit during active school zone times, with speeding more prevalent on roads with higher default limits (e.g., 60 km/h) and among light vehicles. School zones with traffic-calming infrastructure, such as narrowed lanes, pedestrian crossings, and speed humps, improved speed compliance. The study also highlights inconsistencies in school zone policies across Australian jurisdictions, particularly regarding active school zone periods and reduced speed limits. International and domestic literature informed several recommendations to improve school zone safety in the ACT, including adopting lower speed limits (ideally 30 km/h or less), extending active school zone periods to reflect child pedestrian presence, expanding traffic-calming treatments, and leveraging automated enforcement technologies.

Current ACT school-zone settings reduce speeds but do not reliably achieve safe operating conditions for child pedestrians. Enhancements to limits, design, and enforcement are needed to better support Safe System objectives.

Implementing lower speed limits, harmonizing operating periods, increasing traffic-calming treatments, and applying automated enforcement can feasibly and substantially improve child safety around schools.