What's a kea crossing?

Kea Crossing

Kea crossings or school crossing points are used at places with low to moderate traffic levels, often where only school children cross. During non-patrol times, the roads revert to being uncontrolled, so pedestrians crossing them have to give way to vehicles.

A kea crossing is made up of:

• Kerb extensions at each roadside 
• Vehicle ' hole lines ' on the road at the crossing point
• Poles to hold the flags and signs.

Kea crossing provide children with a safe place to cross the road. They're installed around schools so school patrols can control traffic and safely guide children across the street.

A kea crossing only operates when a school patrol and two fluorescent orange crossing point flag signs, one on each side of the road, are present.

The school patrol will be operating before and after school and possibly at lunch time. When the school patrol displays their STOP signs, traffic must stop. This helps keep children safe when they're going to and from school.

When there's no school patrol and no crossing signs, the crossing point is just like any other section of road.

What features do kea crossing points have?

There are yellow or fluorescent yellow-green 'children' and 'school' combination warning signs 65 metres before the crossing on each approach. These warning signs are permanent, where the crossing is being used or not. They're the same as those used outside schools to warn there may be pedestrians crossing ahead.

When the kea crossing is operating, two types of removable signs are used. These signs include two fluorescent orange 'children' flag signs and the swing-out red school patrol STOP signs.

'look out for children' fluorescent orange flag sign

School patrol STOP sign

When the school patrol finishes operating, the fluorescent orange crossing point flag signs and red school patrol STOP signs are removed. The crossing site then becomes an ordinary section of road.

Kea crossing have a 'limit' line marked across each approach, to guide drivers stopping at the crossing.

Pedestrian 'hold lines' appear 75 centimetres behind the kerb at both ends of the crossing. The lines show pedestrians where they should stop and wait for the school patrol to guide them across the road.

The road at a kea crossing site is no more than 10 metres wide. Even when a patrol isn't operating, pedestrians may find the site a relatively safe and narrow place to cross the road. They must be careful-checking for approaching vehicles and waiting for a suitable break in traffic before crossing.