A GRIFFITH child will be killed on their way to or from school, the city's deputy mayor Doug Curran fears.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
His comment comes as council and police urge residents to slow down in school zones.
"Parents are not only putting their child's lives at risk, they are putting other children's lives at risk as well," Councillor Curran said.
"Parents are doing U-turns in drop-off zones and double parking - a split second decision could take a life."
Cr Curran, who is a member of the city's traffic committee and transport management committee, said he was aware that parents were short on time, but there was no excuse.
"It's not that hard to do the right thing. If you don't, the unthinkable could happen," he said.
Motorists are not only putting lives at risk, they can also receive hefty fines.
Cr Curran said council made no apology for cracking down on motorists flouting rules in school zones.
"We'll be issuing fines and we've spoken to police. If that gets us offside with the community, then so be it," he said.
Council's road saftey office Greg Balind said he had received a growing number of complaints from parents and other road users who were concerned students could be seriously injured or killed.
"Based on these concerns we conducted a traffic analysis at school zones across the Griffith area and discovered numerous incidents of adverse driving behaviour that compromised the safety of school children," Mr Balind said.
"The analysis revealed that speeding and illegal parking around schools is rampant as many drivers disregard driving and parking laws.
Council's transport committee chair Councillor Simon Croce said school zones could be dangerous places, simply because of the number of people and vehicles during pick up and drop off times.
"Child safety is paramount at any time but according to our traffic analysis, many drivers are disregarding the laws associated with driving and parking in school zone areas and putting children's lives at risk," Cr Croce said.
"We are issuing a plea to local motorists to observe speed limits and to park legally - not only is it the law, it will help ensure the safety of students, pedestrians and fellow motorists in those areas."