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New School Zone Speed Limits in South Australia and New South Wales Lead to Fines and Debate

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School Zone Speed Limits Under Fire: Fines Surge in Two States

South Australia’s New 40 km/h Zones Lead to Hundreds of Fines

Implementation and Fines

From late 2025, over an 11-week period, South Australian police issued fines to 992 drivers on Kensington Road near Marryatville High School and 202 drivers on Goodwood Road near Goodwood Primary School. The total value of these fines was $694,037.

The 40 km/h speed limits are in effect on school days from 8:00 AM to 9:30 AM and 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM. The program was announced in September 2025 by then-Education Minister Blair Boyer and is partially funded through the $168 million National Road Safety Program.

More than 160 schools in South Australia are expected to introduce similar limits, with approximately 60 already in place.

Previously, the state primarily utilized 25 km/h zones on local streets.

Points of Criticism and Confusion

Some drivers have reported confusion with the new zones. For example, Beach Road in Christies Beach features six speed limit changes within a kilometer (60 to 40 to 60 to 40 to 60 to 50 km/h), and a similar pattern exists on Main North Road outside Nailsworth Primary School.

The limits are only active during public school terms—a schedule drivers are expected to know.

Traffic lawyer Karen Stanley described the signs as "ambiguous" and argued that requiring drivers to constantly look for speed limit signs distracts from other traffic. She questioned whether the goal is safety or revenue raising.

Official Responses

SA Police Commissioner Grant Stevens stated that public concern about confusion cannot be ignored. Minister Michael Brown commented that installing flashing signs at all zones is "not achievable."

Charles Mountain, RAA senior safety manager, stated that drivers ignoring the new limits may put children at risk. He noted that crash data shows approximately 40% of injury crashes involving pedestrians and cyclists under 16 occur during school peak hours.

Enforcement and Contesting Fines

Of the 58 new zones, only the two on Goodwood and Kensington roads have both illuminated flashing signs and cameras. Another 100 zones are planned by the end of the year.

Karen Stanley stated that contesting fines is difficult if the signs comply with national guidelines. She advises clients against applying for a SAPOL review, as it is likely to be denied.

New South Wales: School Zone Enforcement Expands to Pupil-Free Days

Active Periods

New South Wales school zones activated 40 km/h speed limits on January 27, which includes pupil-free 'school development' days. This applies to public schools in the state's eastern division from January 27 to January 30, with a similar schedule for the western division a week later. Students are scheduled to return on February 2.

School zones are typically active from 8:00 AM to 9:30 AM and 2:30 PM to 4:00 PM on all school days, including pupil-free days, but exclude weekends, public holidays, and public school holidays.

Penalties and Statistics

For a 40 km/h school zone, penalties are severe:

Offence Fine Demerit Points Exceeding limit by up to 10 km/h $246 2 Exceeding limit by over 10 km/h $443 4 Exceeding limit by over 20 km/h $738 5 Exceeding limit by over 30 km/h $1,429 6 Exceeding limit by over 45 km/h $3,242 7

Enforcing school zones on pupil-free days is an established practice. In 2024, 2,184 speeding fines were issued over two pupil-free days before Term One.

NRMA data indicates a rise in fines on pupil-free days. In January 2025, one such day saw 1,379 fines, a 130% increase compared to the March daily average of 602 fines.

NRMA and Expert Statements

The NRMA is advocating for an immediate audit of the state's school zones, citing nearly $35 million in fines from speeding and red-light camera offenses in these areas during the last financial year.

NRMA spokesperson Peter Khoury stated that while public support for school zones is strong, the high number of fines on pupil-free days is a concern, suggesting that collecting fines without proper driver awareness may not enhance safety.

Russell White, CEO of the Australian Road Safety Foundation, stated that adhering to school zone speed limits is consistently important, even during non-school periods.

Top Speed Camera Locations (2024/25)

The following locations recorded the highest number of speeding fines in New South Wales:

  1. Woodville Road, Chester Hill (Southbound): 8,240 fines
  2. Victoria Road, Ryde (Eastbound): 6,307 fines
  3. Princes Highway, Kogarah (Southbound): 4,754 fines
  4. Lane Cove Road, North Ryde (Northbound): 4,391 fines
  5. Bunnerong Road, Maroubra (Southbound): 4,027 fines