School safety gears up
Published: 31 January 2012
Cr Russell Lutton with the unique School Zone Pace Car
Safety around Logan's schools will continue to move up a gear with the 2012 deployment of the successful School Zone Pace Car set to commence this week.
The unique pace car, which has attracted wide-spread community support since its launch early last year, will once again be deployed to patrol the roads in and around Logan's schools.
Deputy Mayor and Logan Road Safety Advisory Committee Chairman, Councillor Russell Lutton (Division 2), said the School Zone Pace Car provided a crucial solution to school safety concerns by helping to reduce speeding in school zones.
He said the pace car had been used in over 200 successful deployments in last year and had benefited 34 different schools - approximately 50 per cent of the schools in the city.
"The one-of-a-kind pace car is a visible reminder to motorists of the importance of keeping to the 40km/hr speed limit around schools, particularly during peak drop off and pick up times," Cr Lutton said.
"The car, complete with signage and flashing lights, has attracted positive feedback from the community and most importantly has played a role in achieving a marked decrease in speeding incidents around school zones.
"Through the SafeRoads4Logan initiative, we are committed to keeping our roads as safe as possible and the pace car is certainly having the desired results throughout the city."
Cr Lutton said a number of schools across the city would benefit from the deployment of the pace car in the first school term.
"The pace car will start at Marsden High School on February 1 and will then travel to Beenleigh State High School and Logan Village State School the following week," he said.
"The rest of the month will then see it benefit a number of schools along Chatswood, Springwood and Underwood Rds.
"The ongoing deployment of the unique pace car across Logan throughout the school year reaffirms our commitment to increase awareness of the importance of driving at the appropriate speed to ultimately help achieve safer roads in Logan.
"By working together with QPS and the Department of Transport and Main Roads we can really help to make a difference by improving pedestrian and child safety in these areas and I am delighted the pace car will once again be out there helping to reduce speeding in school zones."
The unique SafeRoads4Logan initiative has seen Logan City Council partner with the Queensland Police Service, Department of Transport and Main Roads, RACQ, and Queensland Health to educate motorists and passengers about the risk of poor choices and to improve their awareness of their responsibilities as motorists.
The campaign aims to reduce the road toll and rate of serious accidents in Logan by 10% by 2013.