Dubbo City Council road safety officer Jayne Bleechmore would not be the only one horrified at the thought of the drunk and unlicensed driver who sped through a NSW school zone with two unrestrained children in 2015.
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The matter had all the makings of a tragedy and there really is no excuse for this conduct.
Drink-driving on any road and with unrestrained children is deplorable.
But while most people behind the wheel have a licence to drive and aren't drunk, the reminder about school zones is both timely and can't be repeated enough.
It is understandable that after the long Christmas break when school zones don't apply, motorists are out of the habit of slowing down to 40km/h.
It is also easy to see that the day classes resume may slip the mind of people, particularly those who are not directly affected.
That's why it is so important to highlight this issue today, before thousands of students return to school in the coming days.
Ms Bleechmore is right to put the onus for preventing collisions on adults, because children really can't be expected to have the skills to judge speed and distance of cars and other vehicles.
And she is right to say that colliding with a child "would just be awful" - it really would be, for all concerned.
These days we are fortunate to have flashing lights at many school zones, which is especially useful for people travelling in unfamiliar territory.
And maybe we can all help, perhaps with something as simple as a conversation over breakfast this week - to say: "Remember to slow down in school zones because the students are back."
