School zone speeding

By Kelly Yates
CASEY traffic police were left appalled last week after they caught 25 motorists driving over the speed limit in school zones.
Police from the Casey Traffic Management Unit (TMU) targeted 40km/h school zones at three schools last Wednesday as they launched Operation Juno in a bid to stop drivers ignoring school zone speed limits.
Police set up at St Peter’s College in Cranbourne, Cranbourne Park Primary School and Brentwood Park Primary School in Berwick and detected 30 offences in three hours of the operation, which ran from 2.30pm to 5.30pm.
Senior Constable Allen Inderwisch from the Casey TMU said police nabbed 10 motorists for speeding less than 10km/h over the speed limit and 15 motorists for speeding by 10km/h or more over the speed limit.
Police also found two unregistered vehicles and caught a motorist using a mobile phone while driving.
Sen Const Inderwisch said there was a high number of motorists who were continuing to ignore reduced speed limits during school hours.
“A child running out in front of a car can happen in the blink of an eye and people have to ask themselves how they would feel if they knew that their speed resulted in the death of a student,” he said.
“We will be continuing with the operation and hope that people get the message to slow down and pay attention around schools before someone is killed.”
Child safety is one of the main aims behind the new operation.
According to Sen Const Inderwisch, police will be using marked and unmarked vehicles and the police motorbike.
Some police will also be patrolling the streets on foot.
Operation Juno will run until April next year.