School zones have 40 km/h speed limits to reflect that they are pedestrian dense environments. Schools located on higher volume roads have SCPOs, employed by the Department of State Growth, to assist children to cross the road safely.

Although Tasmanian students are rarely involved in serious or fatal crashes in school zones or around school buses, the risk still remains. From 2017 to 2022, 22 children aged between four and 15 years were injured in school zones as a result of coming into contact with vehicles. The severity of the incidents ranged from first aid to serious injury. Tragically, there has also been two fatalities prior to 2014, resulting from vehicles hitting students after they have disembarked from rural school buses.

The ‘Love 40’ campaign is an initiative under the current Towards Zero Action Plan 2020-2024 and was first launched in February 2019.  ‘Love 40’ has been revitalised at the start of each school term every year since to prompt drivers to slow down in school zones and around school buses.