Celebrating over 50 years service to the community
The county council is proud that their team of School Crossing Patrol Officers ensures that Northamptonshire’s schoolchildren cross our roads as safely as possible. The Service is provided in accordance with guidance from by Road Safety GB (formerly LARSOA) which sets out the adopted criteria for the appointment of a ‘lollipop’ person at a designated site.
There are approximately sixty school crossing patrol sites across the county.
Potential School Crossing Patrol sites
The procedure for determining whether or not a new patrol site can be justified is as follows:
- Calculation of pedestrian and vehicle flows to produce a rating (PV2) of the potential conflict between vehicles and pedestrians.
- Understanding the ages and abilities of people crossing the road
- Consideration the road type, width and other physical features
- Consideration of whether other options may provide a safer crossing facility (e.g. a Zebra or Puffin crossing)
Patrollers are placed at sites that are integrated, where possible, into the county council’s Safer Routes to School programme to help encourage walking and cycling to school.
Parents’ Responsibilities
The responsibility for ensuring the safety of children travelling to and from school, is and must remain, a parental one whether or not the Authority if able to provide safer routes or safer crossing facilities. The Service is non-statutory.
Legal Powers
It is an offence under the Road Traffic Act 1984 if vehicles do not stop when signalled to do so by a School Crossing Patrol Officer. Powers were extended in 2001 so Patrollers can assist all pedestrians to cross the road, including adults.