Road safety around our school
Yarrawonga College P – 12 have two designated crossings situated on outside our Gilmore Street Campus. One Pedestrian Crossing at our P – 4 Campus and a Children School Crossing at our 5 – 8 Campus.
We encourage all drivers travelling along Gilmore Street to watch for students/staff and adhere to the following rules and regulations and advice.
How drivers should share the road with pedestrians
There are road rules for drivers and riders to follow when interacting with pedestrians, for example:
- A driver must give way to any pedestrian on a pedestrian crossing, and must not overtake another vehicle which has stopped at a pedestrian crossing. When approaching a pedestrian crossing, drive at a speed that would enable you to stop safely.
- When turning at any intersection (except a roundabout), you must give way to any pedestrians crossing the road you are entering. At roundabouts be aware of pedestrians needing to cross, slow down and give them the space and time they need.
- When entering or leaving a driveway or private property, you must give way to pedestrians and bicycles on any footpath, path or nature strip you cross.
- In a shared zone shared by both vehicles and pedestrians, you must give way to pedestrians.
Supervised School Crossings
Speed Limit
Children & pedestrian safety
Research shows that young children do not have the skills and experience to be safe in traffic on their own. Parents and carers need to take special care and supervise young children in traffic.
Children up to 5 years
Parents and carers must always hold children’s hands when near traffic or the road. Once a child is mobile, especially walking, they must never be left unsupervised around roads or vehicles. Young children lack the skills, knowledge and judgement to be able to cope with traffic and so need to be constantly supervised.
Children 5 years up to 12 years
Parents and carers can help children by providing plenty of practical supervised experience in using the road safely, as a part of the journeys taken every day. Research shows that children under age 12 do not have the skills and experience to be safe in traffic. Teach them safe traffic behaviour and set a good example.
Children 11 or 12 years and over
Children may become more independent in their travel, however in complex traffic situations they may still require supervision. Check regularly to ensure that children remember and follow safety procedures. Work with them to plan safe walking and cycling routes. Find out what road safety education programs are being taught at their schools, and reinforce what their schools are teaching.
Driveway safety
When you are walking with children it is important to demonstrate that children should approach driveways with caution. Engage children in conversations to help improve their safety when walking near driveways. For example, ask: how they can tell if a vehicle is coming out of the driveway? (e.g. listen for sounds, look for clues such as exhaust emissions, reversing lights or beeps from trucks).
Victoria has a comprehensive road safety education program covering early childhood, primary and secondary schools. Educating parents, carers and children about driveway safety is included in these programs. The core primary school resource ‘Kids on the Move’ includes learning activities about pedestrian safety and looking out for driveways. In addition, Bike Ed includes education about riding safely on paths, including footpaths. For more information, please visit Victoria’s road safety education website.(External link)
