With the end of term upon us and an increase in local incidents, we thought it would be a timely reminder to reiterate student and traffic safety around campus PLUS advise the rules regarding the use of e-bikes and e-scooters.
The school holidays will provide an increase in activity with our students moving around the local neighbourhood on their bikes and scooters. Please remind your children of the road rules, especially relating to e-scooters and e-bikes.
Walking/Riding to School
- We have been advised of posts circulating on the local Social Media Community Groups regarding children's safety when walking on their own. Please remind your children to be vigilant when walking/riding to and from school and around the area, and to be aware of their surroundings and those around them.
- ³ÉÈ˶ÌƬ’s encourages students to walk or ride to school where possible, and we stress the importance of using the roads safely. Helmets must be worn when riding to and from school, as required by law.
- Remind students to take note of the traffic around them, and be aware of other road users, including cars and pedestrians.
- The road via Gate 3 next to the ELC is for vehicles only. There is no pedestrian access. For safety reasons, pedestrians should use the smaller gate directly opposite the roundabout intersection with Banks Avenue.
- Be aware that, even if a cyclist rings their bell, pedestrians may not immediately recognise it as warning of an approaching bicycle. As such, when there are pedestrians on a shared pathway, cyclists should slow down and give the pedestrian time to move to safety.
- Students are to dismount and push their bicycles at crosswalks.
- Students are not to ride their bicycles on the School grounds - they must dismount.
- Primary School students should park their bikes next to the multi-purpose court near the Primary Oval. Middle and Senior School students should park their bikes in the bike racks behind the Dunsborough buildings.
Being Neighbourly
Please be mindful of our neighbours in the homes and businesses around the School. Parking in the Endeavour Business Centre (cnr of Banks and Endeavour) is restricted to clients of the Centre’s tenants. The parking areas next to the Whitfords Family Centre and Endeavour Child Care facilities are also strictly reserved for their clients. Please do not block the driveways of homes on ³ÉÈ˶ÌƬs Drive.
Parking on School Grounds
Please refrain from parking in staff parking areas and those bays clearly marked for particular people/areas.
Manned Crossings
There are manned crosswalks at a number of locations. Traffic Wardens appointed by the Children’s Crossing Unit of the WA Police are located on Whitfords Avenue (Belrose Entrance), Endeavour Road (Banks Avenue), Whitfords Avenue, and on Cook Ave.
In addition, we have a School Traffic Warden located at the Kiss ‘n Drive points outside the Performing Arts Complex. Please follow the instructions of the wardens to help keep our children safe.
Kiss ‘n Drive locations
There are a number of Kiss ‘n Drive drop-off points around the School, including Whitfords Avenue entrance (Gate 4), Early Learning Centre (via Gate 3), Eastern Access Road (via Gate 3), and outside the Performing Arts Complex (via Gate 3 or Gate 2). There is an additional Kiss ‘n Drive bay on ³ÉÈ˶ÌƬs Drive (travelling east to west). To ensure the safety of all pedestrians, please adhere to the following:
- Kiss ‘n Drive bays are strictly ‘no parking’ areas whether or not you are in your vehicle.
- Students must exit from the passenger-side doors as quickly as possible.
- Students must use the designated crosswalks located at each Kiss ‘n Drive within the School grounds.
- Do not overtake vehicles who are ahead of you in the Kiss ‘n Drive queue.
- Please be patient, drive slowly, and be aware of other road users.
- At pick-up time, if your child is not at the Kiss ‘n Drive when you arrive, please follow the Traffic Warden’s directions and move forward to rejoin the queue.
Student Vehicles
Older students who drive their own vehicles are not permitted to park on the School grounds.
E-Bikes and E-Scooters
The below information is taken from the Department of Transport's website and we expect our students/staff/families to adhere to the rules as per below:
The maximum speed for ERDs on bike and shared paths and local roads has been set at 25km/h, which is consistent with regulations in Queensland, the ACT and New Zealand, and is the same speed at which the power output on electric bikes cuts out.
The speed limit on footpaths and in pedestrian areas, however, is much lower at 10km/h reflecting the speed differential between different path user groups.
Riders are required to give way to pedestrians and keep to the left of oncoming bicycle riders or other ERD users. They are not permitted to travel on a separated footpath designated for the use of pedestrians.
Other new rules for ERDs and their users include:
- Riders of higher-powered electric rideable devices must be at least 16 years of age;
- Riders must wear an approved helmet, use lights and reflectors at night and have a working warning device; and
- The same mobile phone and drink and drug driving rules apply as for motor vehicle drivers.
Under existing Western Australian rules, children under the age of 16 years are permitted to use motorised scooters that have a maximum power output of 200w and a maximum speed of 10 km/h.
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