Love40 has been revitalised in 2025, with a new campaign titled “Grow Up, there’s No Excuse in a School Zone”. The campaign features children dressed and acting like adults, delivering familiar excuses that drivers often give for not following the rules in the school zone.

Some of these excuses include:

• “I was only a bit over and had a Pilates class to get to”
• “Ah, c’mon, it was 9.29am, there were no kids around”
• “I need to get on site, got a big job on”
• “Oops, I wasn’t concentrating”
• “I was only going 42km, what’s the problem?”

Drivers must remain aware that road safety is a year-round responsibility, not just a concern for the first week of school. Reports from School Crossing Patrol Officers highlight ongoing issues with drivers speeding or not paying attention in school zones.

Between 2020 and 2024, 13 pedestrians and cyclists aged 17 and under were involved in crashes in school zones, including one fatality.

School zones have 40 km/h speed limits to reflect that they are pedestrian-dense environments. In addition to adhering to the 40 km/h speed limit in school zones during designated times, motorists are also required to slow to 40 km/h near school buses when their lights are flashing, as mandated by law.

Schools located on higher-volume roads have SCPOs, employed by the Department of State Growth, to assist children in crossing the road safely.

Regardless of the circumstances—whether running late or facing other pressures—unsafe driving in school zones is never acceptable. Prioritizing safety in these areas ensures a secure and successful school year for all.

The ‘Love 40’ campaign is an initiative under the current Towards Zero Action Plan 2020-2024 and was first launched in February 2019.