Dangerous drivers put kids at risk

A Central Coast mum is calling for tougher policing around school zones as motorists are caught putting the lives of children at risk.

Every day, Katy Bryant dodges traffic to negotiate four unmanned school crossings to walk her children aged four to 10 to Wadalba Community School.

"The amount of cars that don't stop is very frustrating," she said. "I've even had buses that don't stop. I'm just waiting for an accident to happen. " The school P & C vice president wants to see more patrols around school zones. Her warning comes in the wake of a recent one-day statewide blitz by NSW Police, Operation Compliance, which caught more than 600 motorists speeding in school zones.

Ms Bryant said the one-day blitz demonstrated that coast drivers are not taking care around school zones, and more needs to be done to ensure children's safety

In the northern region, from Sydney to Tweed Heads, 32 motorists failed to stop at school crossings - with more than half of those on the Central Coast. Ninety four drivers were found speeding in a school zone, and 115 drivers were caught using mobile phones.

Traffic police in Brisbane Water LAC caught 17 drivers for not stopping at crossings - the highest number in the northern region.

In total, 54 Central Coast motorists were caught on the day of the blitz. Yet Tuggerah Lakes LAC was the worst when it came to drivers using their mobile phones. A worrying 33 motorists were caught using a mobile device while driving, compared to three in Brisbane Water LAC.

Ms Bryant said the one-day blitz demonstrated that coast drivers are not taking care around school zones, and more needs to be done to ensure children's safety. "To hear that people are not stopping at crossings and using mobile phones while driving is incredibly frustrating," she said.

"There are already enough distractions without adding a phone to it. 'For many parents, this is not just about the school-age kids but also the younger siblings with them on the school run. "These are the ones more likely to let go of your hand and run off into the road."

BE SAFE

Tuggerah Lakes LAC highway and traffic patrol command's Sgt Glen Duggan said the recent surveillance operation was a shock for drivers. 'We find that as a rule most motorists tend to be compliant, but for those that were caught this was certainly a wake-up call," Sgt Duggan said.

He said that some of the people detected using mobile phones while driving were P-platers. "People are either texting, phoning, checking apps or reading messages." Traffic and highway patrol commander, Assistant Commissioner John Hartley, said the results show a 'blatant disregard for the safety of others".

STATISTICS 

Operation Compliance mobile phone driving offences by police local area command: 
- Brisbane Water: 3 
- Tuggerah Lakes: 33 
- Newcastle: 23 
- Port Stephens: 3 
- Hunter Valley: 9 
- Central Hunter: 2
- Lake Macquarie: 21