School speed limit 20

What it means

This sign lowers the speed limit through a school zone to protect children walking to school, and it applies during the periods stated on or beneath it. Children are the least predictable road users: they step out between parked cars, misjudge closing speeds and are hard to see over vehicle bonnets. The reduced limit exists because a driver at low speed has both a shorter stopping distance and a much better chance of a survivable outcome if a conflict happens. The fluorescent yellow-green colour marks it as school-related even before the words register.

How it gets misread

The commonest misread is assuming the limit applies around the clock. Another is treating the end of the school building as the end of the zone, when the limit usually runs to a marked point or a second sign. Some drivers also believe the reduced limit is voluntary when no officer is visible.

What to do

Obey the reduced limit for the whole marked zone during the stated periods, and watch the pavement and sidewalks continuously rather than only the road ahead. Expect sudden movements from between vehicles and be ready to stop fully. When the period is active, treat any child near the roadway as someone who may enter it without warning.

Practise this rule

• School Zone Rules: Slow Down and Obey Guards

  You are driving through a school zone during arrival time with children walking nearby. What does the law require of you?

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