Forum: Review road signs, enforcement practices for school zones

I understand the need to protect children through lower speed limits in school zones. However, I hope the authorities will review whether current enforcement practices and road signage are achieving that objective in the most effective and fair manner.

My wife was recently fined $300 and given eight demerit points for travelling at 55kmh in a 40kmh school zone opposite CHIJ Toa Payoh. It was a public holiday, the school was closed and there were no students or school-related activities.

While we accept responsibility for exceeding the speed limit, the penalty seemed particularly severe under such circumstances.

More importantly, the school zone signage is difficult to notice as the speed limit sign is small and placed immediately behind a large black electronic board, obstructing it from the driver’s line of sight. In addition, the school zone road markings – with thick red strips – are located closer to the middle of the actual zone.

By the time motorists realise they are in a school zone, enforcement officers would already have captured the offence. If the intention is to encourage compliance rather than penalise motorists, would it not be more effective to place the road markings prominently at the beginning of the school zone, where they can serve as a timely visual reminder?

I have also observed frequent speed-limit enforcement at school zones on weekends and public holidays when school gates are closed and there are no students present.

I understand that since January, the law requires motorists to observe the reduced speed limit at all times. But many residents who drive on the same roads daily may understandably take time to adjust to the revised rules. For some, exceeding the limit may be a genuine oversight rather than a deliberate disregard for safety. 

Regular enforcement during periods when schools are closed may also inadvertently create the perception that the emphasis is on issuing fines rather than promoting road safety.

Perhaps the authorities could consider improving the visibility of school zone signs, relocating road markings to the start of school zones, and reviewing the frequency and timing of enforcement on weekends and public holidays.

Such measures would reinforce the primary objective of protecting road users while also promoting fairness and voluntary compliance.

Ho Cheong Tong