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Operation Return to School will see a two-day state-wide road safety operation run on Monday, July 24 and Tuesday, July 25, in response to increased traffic volumes during school pick-up and drop-off times.

Children and young people are at risk in road environments around schools for a number of reasons. They are smaller and less visible to drivers, their active behaviour can be less predictable than adults, and they may have errors of judgement when dealing with traffic.

The highly visible road safety operation aims to keep students and pedestrians safe around school zones.

Police officers will be seen on foot and communicating with the school community. Mobile driver testing is also expected.

“As families get back into a routine and return to school, police will continue to target drivers who speed, fail to belt-up, take illicit drugs before driving or make other poor decisions which can put other road users at unnecessary risk” Superintendent Darren Fielke, Officer in Charge of Traffic Support Branch, said.

“We continue to randomly test drivers for drugs and alcohol, even around schools, so our message is simple: Do not drug or drink drive.

“We’ve lost 68 lives on South Australian roads this year, and still people choose to do the wrong thing.

“That is why we need to stay alert behind the wheel at all times, even though our minds may be preoccupied, particularly during the return to school. Roads will be busy, so remember to stay patient, reduce your speed to 25k/h in school zones and allow a bit of extra time during school runs.

“Anyone who sees dangerous driving near a school or at any time is also urged to contact police immediately.”

The last time the operation ran in early May police visited 284 schools across South Australia and issued 65 expiation notices for various offences including speeding, using a hand-held mobile phone while driving, failing to wear a seatbelt and licence or registration offences.