As masses of children head back to the grind, police are warning motorists to keep an eye out for our young ones.
Hawke's Bay police will be conducting a campaign to enforce speed zones around schools, including a 20km/h speed restriction that applies around school buses when loading and unloading children.
Prevention road police manager Senior Sergeant Stu Fleming said school speed zones were there for good reasons, to help protect "our most vulnerable road users".
"These zones are clearly identified with signs and road markings, so there's no excuse for ignoring them," Mr Fleming said.
He said children were especially vulnerable around moving vehicles and if struck by a vehicle travelling at 50km/h, they have a less than a 50 per cent chance of surviving the impact.