School speed zones School speed zones
Speed around schools is a major public health and road safety issue. The faster you go the less time you have to react and the longer it takes to stop.
Children are most at risk, especially in the morning and afternoon when they're walking and cycling to and from school.
Pedestrian casualties (deaths, serious and minor injuries) occur the most at school peak times (7am - 9am and 2pm - 4pm).
Source – New Zealand Transport Agency Crash Analysis System (CAS)
A school speed zone is selected using NZ Transport Agency criteria.
A school speed zone slows traffic and increases driver awareness of the presence of children. This helps to reduce the risk of crashes around schools.
School speed zones are in force throughout Auckland with a 40km/h speed limit in operation on school days. The operate at least 35 minutes before the start of school and 20 minutes at the end of the school day. They begin no earlier than 5 minutes before the end of the school day.
The speed limit will also apply for 10 minutes at any other time when at least 50 children cross the road, or enter or leave vehicles at the roadside. Appropriate signs mark the beginning and end of the area where the speed limit operates.
Rural school speed zone trials
Auckland Transport is working in partnership with NZTA to implement rural school speed management trials. Traffic speed around schools is of concern to rural communities. The risk is greatest at times when pick-up and drop-off activities are combined with passing high-speed traffic.
The trials use a safe-system approach to reduce the risk of crashes associated with turning in and out of the school, or adjacent intersections. There are two trial types, using electronic and static signage.
60km/h variable speed limit zone - two-year trial
- Electronic 60km/h enforceable speed limit sign, activated during peak school traffic hours.
- Static 60km/h speed limit sign, enforceable at times specified on sign.
- Participating Schools: Ararimu School, Dairy Flat School, Puni School.
Read more about the 60km/h variable speed zone trials (PDF 1MB).
40km/h advisory school speed zone - one-year trial
- Static 40km/h advisory speed sign, advising motorists to slow when children are present.
- Participating Schools: Glenbrook School, Halsey Drive School, Ramarama School.
Read more about the Glenbrook School 40km/h advisory speed zone trials (PDF 1MB).
All trials will have their effectiveness measured and may become permanent at the conclusion of the trial. Auckland Transport will conduct speed recording and video analysis before and during the trial. Feedback from the school and community will also be used to assess the trials’ success.
Download the initial report on the rural school speed management trial (PDF 4MB).
Please ensure that you drive to the conditions and slow down near schools.