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How do school zones work with private schools? (aussie.zone)

submitted 6 months ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

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Private schools have different holidays to public schools, right? Does that mean when driving past a private school you need to know specifically if that school is on holiday or not? Or is it all done only on the public school terms?

And how does the answer to that question interact with places like Lambert Road, Indooroopilly, where there's a public school on one side and a private school on the other?

(Note: "just look for the flashing lights" is not a helpful answer. Those are a useful aid, but not legally binding. "The light was not flashing" is not actually a legal defence to a charge of speeding in a school zone.)

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[–] [email protected] 2 points 6 months ago* (last edited 6 months ago)

https://www.qld.gov.au/transport/safety/rules/schools/school-zone-speed-limits-and-signs

In short: if you don't know if it's an "active" school zone or not... assume it is and just slow down. General sentiment with many road rules is "ignorance is not an excuse" and that's what applies here.

In practice, most patrol officers would probably exercise some discretion (e.g.: were there lots of children around? Was the school visibly "open" in an obvious way?). If the school looked "closed" they might be lenient. But technically, they could legally pin you if they wanted to.

If you were to appeal it, you might be able to argue your case on mitigating circumstances. You're entitled to your day in court if you feel you've been treated unfairly.

But again, the default position is "ignorance is not an excuse", and if you're operating a vehicle that can kill someone, your responsibility is to err on the side of caution.