Crossing guard
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
A crossing guard (United States) or a school crossing patrol officer (United Kingdom/Australia) is a traffic management specialist who is normally stationed on busy roadways to aid pedestrians. Often associated with elementary school children, crossing guards cross temporarily stop the flow of traffic so pedestrians may cross an intersection. Crossing guards are known by a variety of names, to include "crossing guard", "traffic monitor", and "school crossing patroller".
[edit] United States
No universal regulations exist that describe who may be a crossing guard, where crossing guards are stationed, or for what purposes a crossing guard may be employed. This person may be paid or volunteer; the person may be a school employee, a member of local law enforcement, a city employee, or contracted privately. Many elementary school crossing guards are assisted by older students, known by a variety of titles such as "safety monitor" and "safety patrol."
Crossing guards, except those who are duly sworn public safety officers, have no arrest powers, cannot write tickets, and can only forward the license plate numbers and other descriptors of alleged violators to local law enforcement, who will decide what to do with that information; results may range from nothing at all to a verbal warning to a written summons and fine.
Similar procedures exist in most areas for school bus drivers, who may observe motorists disobeying the bus stop arm or flashing lights usually displayed when children are exiting the bus.
[edit] United Kingdom and Australia
In the United Kingdom and Australia, a school crossing patrol officer is colloquially known as a lollipop man or lollipop woman/lady because of the modified circular stop sign they carry, which resembles a large lollipop.
In the UK, it has the word "STOP", a strip of black, and an international symbol for children. (This symbol has recently replaced the word "CHILDREN".) They are employed by local authorities, but there is a greater degree of standardisation of the system across the country than in the US. They are often older people who have retired from full-time employment. They may be based at a pelican crossing, a zebra crossing, or just an ordinary point on the road widely used as a crossing.
Under UK law it is an offence for a motorist not to stop if signalled to do so by a patroller. In the past patrollers only had the authority to stop the traffic for children. However, the Transport Act 2000 changed the law was so that a patroller had the authority to stop the traffic for any pedestrian [1].
[edit] References
- ^ Section 270, The Transport Act 2000, HMSO, 2000. Retrieved on 2006-11-20
School Crossing Guards
Australia
After World War 2 various Australian States adopted schemes to promote the safety of children in the vicinity of schools.
Initially these schemes often involved the creation of ‘safe’ children’s crossings defined by sets of four red and white painted posts, two red and black crossing flags and white lines painted on road surfaces. These early crossings were not officially manned.
These children’s crossings have evolved over the years and now often include the supervision of designated crossings by attendants known variously as School Crossing Monitors/Wardens/Marshalls or Supervisors. Where Crossing attendants are used they are either employed by Local Government authorities or the State Departments responsible for Roads or Policing.
State of Victoria
In 1973 the need for supervision on school crossings became apparent when there was a spate of serious accidents involving child fatalities at flagged crossings.
In response then to public pressure during the early 1970’s, individual Councils took it upon themselves to arrange for some school crossings to be supervised and employed what were then called School Crossing Monitors/Wardens or Marshalls. Dandenong, Oakleigh and Springvale Councils were the first to introduce paid School Crossing Wardens, Frankston followed in August 1973.
In 1974, Rupert HAMER, Victoria’s the then State Premier went on a fact finding mission to Britain to study School/Children’s Crossings. Upon his return, Premier HAMER reported back to Parliament and the State Government set an annual budget of $1 million to subsidise the employment of School Crossing Supervisors.
In January 1975 the State Government through the then Road Safety and Traffic Authority decided to encourage local Government to take on the responsibility of providing School Crossing Services incorporating adult supervision. Up to that point in time, where crossing supervision had been provided it was ‘ad hoc’ and by establishing standards for the construction of crossings, minimum requirements for training, uniforms and equipment and by offering financial subsidies for Crossings that met certain prescribed conditions the Government was able to standardise the operation of children’s crossings throughout the State .
There are now 79 Local Government authorities throughout Victoria employing approximately 2,800 attendants on manned school crossings, who are now uniformly referred to as School Crossing Supervisors and Relievers.
Depending upon the built up nature of the Local Government area concerned, the number of manned School Crossings within a Council area can vary from 0 in the Yarriambiack Shire Council to 160+ in the Greater City of Geelong.
As at 2006/07 there were 2618 manned School Crossings being subsidised by the Victorian State Government through VicRoads
Road Rules – Victoria 1999 define ‘Children’s Crossings’, which are considered to be functioning when flags are displayed or flashing lights are operating.
What are officially termed Children’s Crossings are known more commonly as School Crossings.
Road Rules – Victoria 1999 also define traffic offences that may occur specifically at Children’s Crossings.
A School Crossing may be provided some distance from a school or schools but most are located in streets immediately surrounding schools.
Qualification for State Government subsidisation for the operation of manned children’s crossings is determined by the number of vehicles and children using the crossing (warrants). The total funds available for crossing subsidies is finite and is divided annually between all manned School Crossings meeting the established warrants. Since the School Crossing Scheme was adopted in 1975 the percentage of subsidisation provided by the State for warranted crossings has dropped from 80% to less than 30% for some Councils today.
Most School Crossings are installed by Councils at ratepayers cost in response to requests from school boards of management and resident action groups in locations that surveys prove there is a need for such a crossing. On busy thoroughfares some School Crossings are incorporated into Pedestrian & Traffic Light controlled crossing points.
Councils can negotiate with outside organisations such as School Boards to assist with the funding of manned crossings in instances where the State does not subsidise them.
School Crossing Supervisors are normally employed for up to two hours per day on school days over two sessions and are provided with distinctive uniforms and equipment complying with current Australian Safety Standards.
Victorian Local Government Council School Crossing Services are represented by School Crossings Victoria Inc. http://www.schoolcrossingsvictoria.com.au/
Lollipop People 08:15, 11 December 2006 (UTC)
