Keeping our school zones safe for kids

By AAMI 14 March 2025

More than half (56%) of primary school children are driven to and from school by an adult. And just over a third (37%) of parents allow their children to travel to school unaccompanied or with other children.^*

This is a very different reality for today’s kids than their parents faced. To understand why, AAMI conducted some research.

Why more parents are driving their kids to school

Almost eight in ten (78%) of parents admitted that safety concerns prevent them from allowing their children to walk or ride to school without an adult.

61% specifically worry about distracted drivers.
17% believe their children lack road safety awareness.

These findings signal a massive change in behaviour during drop-off and pick-up hours. In previous generations, almost seven in ten Australians (69%) walked, cycled or scooted to and from primary school alone.

"While not everyone can walk, ride or scoot to school due to distance and time, one thing everyone can do is learn and follow road rules to ensure our children are safe when arriving at and leaving school”, says Luisa Rose - AAMI Motor Claim Executive Manager.

Dangerous driving behaviours in school zones

Common road safety mistakes in school zones are putting children at risk. Tragically, there was a 54 percent increase in deaths among young children in 2024 compared to the previous year.¹

Russell White, Chair and Founder of the Australian Road Safety Foundation (ARSF) – a long-time road safety partner of AAMI, said, “AAMI's research findings revealed that Australians are driving recklessly in and around school zones and need to pay attention to speed limits and rules that have been put in place to keep children safe”.

Unsafe driving

Here are some insights on dangerous driving behaviours people admit to in and around school zones.

25% speed through school zones because they don’t notice signs.
12% speed when no children are visible.
12% are distracted by their phones in school drop-off zones.
11% double park or stop in the middle of the road.

Confusion about the rules

Another factor impacting road safety in our school zones is a lack of clarity on the rules.

28% of drivers don’t fully understand school zone speed limits and times.
22% of parents are unclear on ‘Drop and Go’ rules around local schools.

How you can help keep school zones safer

As drivers, we all have responsibilities on the road. Here are some tips for a smoother and safer back-to-school experience.

There are rules for a reason. When driving through a school zone, especially at pick-up or drop-off times, follow the school zone time directives.
Expect the unexpected. Children have limited experience with road safety awareness and can behave unpredictably.
Look out, look out—there are children about! Always look for children disembarking from buses or cars.
Limit distractions and focus on the job at hand. Avoid driving distracted and follow all road rules and signage.
If you have children and it’s possible to do so, walk, scoot, or bike to school with them to teach them about road safety. There’s never a bad time to impart some vital life skills.

Music to the driver’s ears

At AAMI, we’re putting our actions where our mouth is. To help make drivers aware that they’re entering a school zone, we’ve once again teamed up with the Australian Road Safety Foundation (ARSF) to roll out their Slow Down Songs initiative again on Spotify.

This initiative geo-targets drivers near school zones, offering top-notch Aussie music while nudging drivers to pay attention.

So, next time you’re driving and listening to Spotify, don’t be surprised if one of our artist’s songs starts slowing down when you’re within 5km of a school. Amy Shark loves road safety just as much as we do!

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^*Data presented in this article are from AAMI Back to School Road Safety Campaign – State Breakdown of Consumer Research

¹ Statistics for 1 January – 30 November 2024. Data sourced from BITRE as of 20 January 2025

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