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School traffic safety team manual

Training manual to assist School Traffic Safety Teams maintain their outstanding safety record.

Print version: School patrols (PDF, 160 KB, 8 pages)

School patrols

What is a school patrol?

A school patrol is a system where patrol members control the flow of vehicles approaching a pedestrian crossing or school crossing point from either direction. They do this by extending school patrol STOP signs onto the roadway in one or both directions so that the word STOP is clearly displayed to any approaching driver. Once the traffic has stopped, they instruct pedestrians to cross the road. School patrols operate under legislation.

Marked pedestrian crossings

A pedestrian crossing is marked in white with stripes of equal length parallel to the middle line of the roadway. A pedestrian crossing is placed so that it is visible to drivers approaching from either direction and is unobstructed by any permanent feature (see Appendix 1 for a diagram of a marked pedestrian crossing). A pedestrian crossing is identified by:

poles marked with bands of black and white, and
a belisha beacon (orange globe) or disc on top, and
a pedestrian crossing warning sign installed in advance, and
a diamond marked on the roadway in advance.

School crossing points (kea crossings)

School crossing points referred to as kea crossings are designed for use at sites that have only moderate traffic flows and where the predominant users of the crossing point are school children. They are not used outside of school opening and closing times. When both school patrol signs and kea flag signs are removed, the road reverts to being uncontrolled, although kerb extensions can offer a greater degree of safety for those wishing to cross (see Appendix 3 for a diagram of a kea crossing).

Visible differences between kea and pedestrian crossings

At a kea crossing point, there are no pedestrian crossing (white) markings on the road. However, there are vehicle hold lines on both approaches that show motorists where they should stop. School patrol STOP signs are positioned on two kerb extensions to give greater visibility to both the school patrol and approaching drivers.

To alert approaching drivers to the kea crossing, two removable flag signs (see Kea crossing flag signs, page 11) are provided on both approaches. After the school patrol operation is finished all removable signage must be withdrawn, especially the flag signs so that maximum impact can be retained during the actual operation.

Setting up a school patrol

Having established the need for a school patrol, the board of trustees must obtain an ‘authority to operate’ from their road controlling authority (RCA); this will be the local council, or Transit NZ should the school patrol operate on a state highway. The principal is responsible for the care and supervision of the school patrol equipment. The school will also need to establish and supervise a roster (see Appendix 7 for school patrol, traffic warden and school crossing point legislation).

NOTE

Boards of trustees must appoint adults to supervise the school patrol and school crossing point. An adult supervisor should be present at all times as the school has a responsibility to ensure the safety of children operating crossing points and an adult is a reliable witness to any breaches of the law.

The PEO is a member of the Youth Education Service (YES) of the New Zealand Police and is responsible for the training and monitoring of patrol members. They can also be called upon to assist in establishing a school patrol or in changing the system of operation when appropriate.

The PEO will arrange training dates with the school. These are usually arranged so that the school patrol is ready for operation by the end of the final term of the year. A refresher training session is then held early in the new school year.

The school is responsible for the selection of responsible students to be trained as patrol members and for ensuring that parent or caregiver permission is given (see sample letter, Appendix 8). It is recommended that 15 team members be selected. This will ensure that each person is on duty often enough to become both competent and confident in the role.

The patrol members work in pairs. One member is designated the leader but this duty can be rotated so that all members gain experience in this responsibility. Using children with behavioural difficulties on school patrol duty to give them responsibility is not a good idea. The PEO will remove any inappropriate personnel on the training day.

Patrol members, their duties and equipment

Patrol members

Students who are selected for the school patrol team must be reliable, punctual and responsible. They should not have to be reminded that it is their turn to be on duty and they need to ensure that as part of the patrol, they are at the crossing on time. If a patrol member has not arrived at school, other team members must be able to arrange for a replacement.

Patrol members have many responsibilities. These are:

to other students: the patrol helps them cross the road safely
to parents: the patrol looks after their children
to motorists: the patrol provides pedestrian safety
to the school: the patrol sets a good example to the community
to other team members: the patrol must be reliable and work together.

Rosters

Each patrol member and supervisor should receive a copy of the roster to take home so that parents or caregivers can ensure their child is on time. Rosters are designed so that each group takes its turn at regular intervals to ensure its members become more competent and confident in their duties. New patrol members should be rostered to work with existing members to gain experience.

Timetable

The arrival times of children should be surveyed to determine the most suitable start time for the patrol. As a rule, school patrols should be in place 30 minutes before school starts and five minutes before school finishes.

Patrol leaders

The patrol member positioned with the best overall view of the road in both directions is called the leader. The leader gives all the operational commands (with the possible exception of the initial signs out call when going on patrol). The position of the leader will be established or confirmed by the PEO during training.

Patrol supervisor

The patrol supervisor (usually a parent or a teacher) is rostered to supervise the operation of the school patrol. They should also attend the school patrol training day.

The supervisor plays a crucial role, especially at crossing points outside busy urban schools. It is important that they are not distracted. Ideally they should stand close to the patrol to supervise any approaching children.

The supervisor’s role is to:

ensure that patrol members perform their tasks correctly
monitor children and parents waiting to cross the road and to ensure that all comply with school patrol commands
provide guidance to motorists who are acting without due regard for the safety of others, eg parking incorrectly or failing to stop. Ideally they should witness and record any infringements on the crossing, as any defended prosecution may require their appearance in court.

Storing the equipment

Signs and markings are provided by the local RCA and the school principal is responsible for the safe and secure storage of the signs. All equipment should be kept in a reasonably secure area that has hooks for hanging up coats and vests and some other form of hooks for suspending the signs. Equipment should be stored away from sunlight to preserve its colour and stored away from areas of high student volume, eg corridors. However, to reduce the likelihood of damage, equipment should be easy to access.

The uniform

Patrol members must always wear the correct uniform on duty (Land Transport Rule: Traffic Control Devices 8.3 (6)). The uniform identifies them as a member of the school patrol team and also makes them more visible. There are two different uniforms available depending on the weather conditions. In wet weather or poor visibility, patrol members wear raincoats; in dry weather, they wear vests. One or other of these uniforms must always be worn, but not both. Patrol members do not have to provide their own uniform as these are provided by the New Zealand Police. However, they do have to ensure that it is kept clean.

School patrol signs

School patrol signs are large red discs with the words STOP SCHOOL PATROL written on them in white. They are mounted on a pole which has a hinge bracket attached. As they are usually constructed from aluminum, they are relatively easy to carry. However, they can be easily damaged especially in windy conditions (see Going on patrol).

STOP school patrol sign

Kea crossing flag signs

Kea crossing flag signs are removable, lightweight, collapsible, orange or red fluorescent, diamond shaped flags that are constructed of soft material. They show two children crossing a road. These warning signs are placed in special mounting posts that are situated on both kerb extensions so they are visible to motorists. They must only be used while the school patrol is operating. When the school patrol has finished, they must be returned along with the STOP signs to the equipment storage area.

Kea crossing flag sign

Other equipment

A notebook and pencil for the adult supervisor to record details of any vehicles that do not obey the school patrol.
A whistle; this is an optional item for use in very noisy situations. Whistles need to be sterilised after use.

The use of cones

Cones can be used provided they are not placed on the road. They can be placed along the kerb to indicate no stopping, or across a driveway to stop traffic entering. Do not use cones on the road — your school may be held responsible if cones cause a crash. Placing cones on the road also puts STST members at unnecessary risk and cones also distract drivers from observing legal signage.

Overview of training

Initial training

The school principal and the PEO will arrange a date to train new patrol members and adult supervisors. New members should be rostered to work with the existing school patrol to gain valuable experience before the end of term.

All members must be present on the training day and must take part in the training procedures. The first session should take place in a classroom where a video and television is available so that the STST training video can be shown and discussed.

The training day covers:

the importance of the roles of the patrol members and the adult supervisor/s
the trust and responsibility that is given to them
the need for teamwork and reliability
what to do if anyone is unable to carry out their duty due to illness or for any other reason
the school patrol uniform
storage and care of the signs and other equipment.

The initial hands-on training will be conducted away from the road to familiarise the team with the calls and movements.

The PEO teaches how to:

set up the patrol
operate the signs
manage pedestrians at the crossing
end the patrol and go off duty
deal with drivers who do not obey the school patrol.

The team then practises the operation at the pedestrian crossing or school crossing point. Team members establish reference points such as power poles, signs or road markings to help identify a safe gap in the traffic. In addition, these reference points can be used to determine the volume and speed of traffic.

The team also discusses how to record infringements that occur when drivers do not obey the school patrol. Ideally infringements should be recorded by an adult supervisor.

Refresher training

At the beginning of the new school year, the PEO will check that rosters have been established and will conduct a brief refresher session at the pedestrian crossing or school crossing point.

PEOs may also meet with parent and teacher supervisors to ensure that everyone is aware of the standard procedures used by the school patrol and the infringement reporting procedures and requirements to be used. The refresher-training day is an ideal opportunity to introduce new-entrant children to the school patrol and its operations.

Going on patrol

Going to the pedestrian crossing or school crossing point

Patrol members must arrive in plenty of time, put on their uniforms and carefully remove the signs from the storage area. The STOP signs must be carried ‘stretcher fashion’ and preferably head first.

They should be oriented so that the signs do not need to be swung around at the roadside in order to be attached to the pole (swinging signs at the roadside may confuse approaching drivers). Extra care around pedestrians must be taken on windy days. It may be advisable to carry the signs so that the discs are horizontal to reduce wind resistance.

Note that this can reduce the visibility of the school patrol to approaching motorists.

When operating a kea crossing, the supervisor of the team must carry the two kea flag signs.

Kea crossing flag signs
(used only at kea crossing points)

Both of these signs should be put in place by the supervisor before the school patrol signs are positioned. This will provide added protection for the next operation.

Hooking up the first school patrol sign

The patrol member who is not crossing the road should walk closest to the road as the school patrol approaches the crossing.

The first sign is attached to the pole. The second patrol member then stands behind the first patrol member, both holding their signs parallel to the road.

Establishing the school patrol

The patrol member whose sign is already attached, checks approaching traffic for an appropriate gap. They call signs out or give a sharp blast on their whistle. Both patrol members then swing the signs quickly out onto the roadway so that they remain parallel to one another. No one crosses the road yet.

The leader calls on patrol and holds up one arm as a barrier (referred to as the barrier arm) to stop any students crossing. A command of wait should be given to any students wanting to cross at this time. The other patrol member walks quickly across the road, holding the sign at right angles to the traffic.

On multi-lane highways, patrol members must also check that no vehicles (including bicycles) attempt to overtake any stationary vehicle.

If there are no children waiting at this time, the attached sign should be withdrawn when the crossing patrol member reaches the footpath. The patrol member attaches their sign once they are standing on the footpath.

If there are children waiting to cross, the school patrol swings the sign out towards the centre of the road. The sign can then be either attached to the hook or rested on the ground at the foot of the post. The barrier arm is then raised. A verbal command to wait is given until both patrol members are sure that any traffic is stopping.

If there is difficulty attaching the sign, the hook end can be rested at the base of the pole then attached once the signs have been taken in.

The first time across

Now that both signs are in position, waiting pedestrians are allowed to cross. Both patrol members lower their barrier arms and the leader calls cross now.

As the last pedestrian enters the crossing, the patrol members raise their barrier arm to prevent any further children from rushing on to the crossing.

Once the last pedestrian reaches the footpath, the leader calls signs in or gives a sharp blast on their whistle. The patrol members swing in both signs at the same time.

Subsequent operation of the patrol

The whole operation should be carried out as quickly and efficiently as possible to ensure minimum disruption to traffic.

Children waiting to cross need to be kept well back from the STOP signs to give patrol members a clear view of the road.

Action 1
The patrol members check approaching traffic in relation to the reference points established during training. When there is a suitable gap in the traffic, the leader calls signs out or gives one sharp blast on their whistle. Both patrol members swing their STOP sign into the roadway simultaneously and raise their barrier arm at the same time.

Action 2
The leader calls check. This means that both patrol members must check to ensure that any approaching vehicles are going to stop.

Action 3
The leader waits for confirmation that traffic has stopped. This is confirmed by the secondpatrol member calling clear. The leader quickly calls cross now. At the same time both patrol members lower their barrier arm. As the last pedestrian steps onto the road, the patrol members raise their barrier arm to prevent any latecomers from rushing out onto the crossing.

Action 4
As the last pedestrian reaches the footpath, the leader calls signs in or gives a sharp blast on their whistle. Both STOP signs are withdrawn at the same time.

Going off patrol

Action 1
The leader or adult supervisor indicates that it is time to finish school patrol operations. The call is off patrol.

Action 2
The patrol member who is to cross the road unhooks the STOP sign and rests the hook end at the base of the pole. A suitable gap in the traffic is then found. The leader calls signs out (or uses their whistle). Both patrol members swing their signs onto the road, raise their barrier arm and give a clear warning of wait to anyone who is waiting to cross.

Action 3
The leader calls check and both patrol members check that any approaching vehicles are about to stop.

Action 4
The leader calls cross now. The returning patrol member follows the last person across the road, holding the STOP sign at right angles to the traffic.

As the crossing point is cleared, the fixed sign is withdrawn from the road and unhooked. Both STOP signs are carried 'stretcher fashion' back to the equipment storage area and must be carried parallel to the roadway. Special care should be taken when walking near other people or vehicles.

Action 5
At a kea crossing, the supervisor must remove both flag signs after the school patrol is disestablished. This will ensure the school crossing point is protected for as long as possible.

Three ways of coping with high traffic volume

These alternative methods of coping with high traffic volume should only be used after consultation and training with the PEO.

Method 1

It is not always possible to find a gap on both sides of the road that allows patrol members to put their signs out simultaneously in high volume traffic. If there is a gap in traffic flowing in one direction then the sign on that side of the crossing can be extended onto the road. The traffic travelling in the opposite direction is then legally required to stop. Once this traffic has slowed or stopped, the other patrol member can immediately put out their sign.

Patrol members must be trained in the operation of this method and know that it should only be used when the traffic volume is very high. They must ensure that children are not allowed to start crossing until traffic on both sides of the road has stopped.

At some pedestrian crossing sites where traffic volumes are constantly high, it may be worth investigating having the crossing relocated or having an alternative traffic control system such as traffic lights installed. This can be determined in conjunction with the local RCA.

NOTE

A pedestrian crossing is separated into two or more crossings only where it is interrupted by a raised traffic island. (Land Transport Rule: Road Users 10.1 (3))

If the traffic volume is high but there are some gaps, then one of the following two methods can be used.

Method 2

Both patrol members only scan the traffic flow from their right-hand side. The leader calls clear if they see that there is a suitable gap in approaching traffic. The other patrol member quickly calls either clear or no depending on the traffic situation on their right-hand side. If the other patrol member calls no, does not reply, or if the leader is not sure of their reply, then the leader does not call signs out. If the other patrol member replies clear, the leader quickly calls signs out. Both STOP signs should be extended onto the road as quickly as possible. Again, the patrol members must be trained in this operation and know that it should only be used when the traffic volume is high.

NOTE

This method simplifies the decision-making process for each student, as they only have to focus their attention on traffic approaching from their right. The leader should operate on the side of the road with the highest traffic volume. This may require the leader to change sides for morning and afternoon sessions.

Method 3

When the view of approaching traffic is obstructed or where traffic volume is high, a third person is used. Ideally, this third person should be a teacher, a parent/adult or a responsible member of the school patrol.

The third person must be strategically placed so that they have a good view of the traffic. They then become the leader and give the commands to the other patrol members. A whistle can be used to ensure a rapid response from the patrol members operating the STOP signs.

Reporting infringements

Incidents involving children

Misbehaving children may distract or interfere with the safe operation of the patrol. The names of these children should be noted and given to the teacher in charge as soon as the school patrol duty is completed.

Incidents involving vehicles

If any vehicle fails to stop when the school patrol STOP signs are extended onto the pedestrian crossing or school crossing point, the driver of that vehicle has committed a traffic offence.

Patrol members or their supervisor must try to record as much of the following information as possible (a notebook and pencil should be available):

registration number of the vehicle
description of the driver
type of vehicle
colour of vehicle.

This information needs to be memorised and recorded as soon as possible.

The following information should also be recorded:

date and time of the incident
direction in which the vehicle was travelling
location of any children on the crossing and their direction of travel at the time the vehicle passed
name of witnesses other than the person writing the report.

The teacher in charge of the school patrol should be notified as soon as possible and ensure that all details are recorded accurately on the school patrol infringement report form (see Appendix 9) as soon as possible. The infringement form should not be sent to the PEO unless the school has been told to do so. A number of different processes exist so local processes should be followed.