Frequently Asked Questions

A new 40 km/h speed limit will be introduced near schools in South Australia on roads that currently have speed limits of 50 km/h or higher. These reduced speed limits will apply in areas where children cross the road on their way to and from school, enhancing safety within school precincts.

Speed limits play a crucial role in pedestrian safety. Studies worldwide show that the average risk of death for a pedestrian struck by a car is 25% at 40 km/h, rising to 50% at 50 km/h and 75% at 60 km/h. Higher speeds lead to longer stopping distances, making it harder for drivers to react in time to avoid a crash.

Even in areas with pedestrian crossing signals, there remains a risk of cars running red lights, as confirmed by road surveys.

Reducing speed limits to 40 km/h during school pick-up and drop-off periods will enhance the safety of children travelling to and from school and will make roads safer for all pedestrians.

No. All other states and territories in Australia also have 40 km/h speed limits near schools during pick-up and drop-off times on school days. The approach to speed limits and signage in those states is similar to what South Australia is implementing. Introducing these speed limits in South Australia will help create consistent, safer walking conditions for school children across the country.

Locations are being chosen based on an assessment that considers the schools’ proximity to busy roads. This includes traffic speed and traffic volumes. We will be advising residents and schools in advance about the changes to speed limits in their areas.

The new 40 km/h speed limits will not be implemented in locations with existing school zones, koala crossings or emu crossings, as these locations already have a 25 km/h speed limit when in operation, or when children are present.

The reduced speed limit will apply to road sections of around 200 metres before and after a school entrance or areas with high pedestrian activity, such as popular crossing points. The length may be extended in areas with multiple schools nearby. Each location will be individually assessed to determine the most suitable extent for the speed limit.

We have undertaken a comprehensive review of school precincts on state-maintained roads across South Australia to identify suitable locations. The review considered the school’s proximity to busy roads, traffic volumes, crash history and existing speed limits.

The Department for Infrastructure and Transport (DIT) will begin installing the new speed limits in late October 2025, with completion scheduled for late 2026. Once the signs are in place, drivers must comply with the new limits.

The 40 km/h speed limit will be in effect on school days only, during the following times:

• from 8:00 am to 9:30 am for morning drop-off
• from 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm for afternoon pick-up .

It will not apply on weekends, school holidays and public holidays.

The times were selected in consultation with the Department for Education, based on typical school drop-off and pick-up patterns in South Australia to maximise safety for children as they travel to and from school. These times also ensure a consistent approach for drivers across South Australia.

School days are defined by the Department for Education and can be found on their website: Term Dates for South Australian State Schools.

The new 40km/h speed limits will not replace or remove existing 25km/h school zones on local streets. The 25km/h speed limit within these school zones applies 24 hours a day, seven days a week, year-round, whenever a child is present in the zone.

For further information about safe speed limits, visit the Think Road Safety website, a statewide South Australian initiative aimed at improving road safety for all road users.

The Department has developed an Operational Instruction to assist councils to seek approval to implement 40km/h school speed zones on local roads.

Technical guidance Ref number: "4.13" Operational Instruction 40 km/h School Precinct Speed Limits for operation and signage for the new school precincts is available on the Department for Infrastructure and Transport’s website on the Standards and Guidelines page.

The ‘40 ahead’ sign will be placed 60 to 80 metres, depending on site conditions, before the new speed limit zone (Figure 1), followed by the 40 km/h school precinct sign at the beginning of the designated area (Figure 2). Bidirectional arrow ‘time of operation’ signs will be provided at side streets with the 40 km/h school precinct speed limit (Figure 3). Selected sites will have an electronic 40 km/h sign that illuminates when the speed limit is in operation (Figure 4). The electronic signs are being prioritised at sites with road safety cameras to improve visibility of the precinct. New safety cameras will be installed at some locations where there wasn’t a camera previously, and existing cameras will be upgraded or replaced to enforce the new speed limit.

Figure 1. 40 ahead Times of operation sign (G9-SA145)

Figure 2. School precinct speed limit sign (R4-SA105)

Figure 3. The 40 Bidirectional arrow Times of Operation (G9-SA146)

Figure 4. Solar powered electronic 40 km/h speed limit sign (ESLS R4-1(40))

Yes, the new speed limit will be a permanent feature aimed at improving safety in school precincts.

Parking is not affected by the speed limit changes and normal parking rules will still apply. We encourage drivers to take extra care when parking in and around schools and follow the signed parking rules at all times.

We are undertaking an extensive education campaign to notify road users about the upcoming speed limit changes near schools. This has included:

• Statewide media and social media.
• Updates provided on the following South Australian Government websites:
  • Think Road Safety
  • Way2Go
  • We Are SA
  • MyLicence
  • SA.GOV.AU
  • SAPOL
• Digital messaging screen advertisements at various State Government service centres.
• Information provided on the Department’s website www.dit.sa.gov.au/40km-schools
• Project updates distributed to each location as well as provided via the project website and the Department’s social media channels.

Infrastructure Victoria is Victoria’s independent expert advisory body and has proposed 30km/h speed limits on local streets to improve safety and promote walking and cycling. The recommendation forms part of a draft 30-Year Infrastructure Strategy that provides recommendations and options to the Victorian Government on infrastructure priorities across housing, energy, transport, health, social infrastructure, and the environment.

Some councils have introduced 30km/h speed limit zones in their area. These new speed limits are being recommended for local roads only. The Department is seeking to implement the new 40km/h speed limits on arterial roads near schools.

The current default speed limit in Victoria for school zones is 40km/h, operating between 8 AM–9:30 AM and 2:30 PM–4 PM on school days.

Yes. Speed cameras will automatically be updated to enforce the 40 km/h speed limit during the prescribed times once the site has had static and electronic signs installed. Enforcement will remain for the pre-existing speed limit at all other times.

No. The introduction of a 40km/h timed speed limit around schools will improve safety for all road users. Money paid for camera detected speeding fines will be invested into the Community Road Safety Fund. The fund delivers crucial road safety initiatives across the state to reduce loss of life and serious injuries on South Australian roads, including safety improvements, education programs and public campaigns.

Third-party apps are out of the Department’s jurisdiction, however updated speed limit information is normally provided to LocationSA. Due to the nature of the time-based speed limits, we are unable to update map information. The Department strongly recommends that all road users observe the signage at each site and follow time-based speed limits at all times.