History of SafeZone

Developed in response to a challenge by his local school's P&C committee to "make school zones safer", industrial designer Clive Solari (of Sydney-based design firm D3 Design) had the idea of a solar powered, radio-controlled, in-pavement flashing warning light to deliver a more effective 'go slow' message to drivers in the zones around schools.

A concept appeared on the ABC's New Inventors program in 2004, however, the technical complexities deterred any organisation from investigating it further.

In early 2005, Sydney-based electronics design and manufacturing firm PNE Electronics took the idea further, developing a storage-cell powered prototype (Mark 1) after determining that solar was impractical.

The system now being installed has come a long way
from the concept first shown in 2004.

PNE's print media ads feature "Kelly the Control Dog", who carries the message, "You imagine it, we'll design controls for it".

Following two years of research, SafeZone 'Mark 2' was trialled by the New South Wales RTA. Following the successful 'proof of conceot', further development was conducted to make SafeZone smaller, more durable and more effective; as well as to adapt it to a range of high risk applications, including its use at railway and pedestrian crossings prone to accidents and fatalities.

Compared to the safety cut-out switch for the domestic steam iron - the invention that got PNE started - SafeZone is another solution resulting from more than 20 years of design and manufacturing expertise, that has helped numerous world-class businesses create products that are easier to use, more reliable, more fully featured, and safer.