Copying with Heavy Traffic, Visibility and Windy Conditions

If you're concerned about student safety on the road owing to heavy traffic or obstacles that are reducing patrol visibility, talk to you school community officer or road controlling authority. With safety their top priority, they'll work with you to develop a practical solution.

1. Heavy traffic

your school community officer will determine whether the following option is the safest operating procedure for your crossing.

Patrol members must be specifically trained in this method.

If traffic is too heavy to put both STOP signs out at the same time, one option is to stagger the patrol operation. In this approach:

• one patrol member identifies a gap in the traffic flowing in their direction, and extends the STOP sign on their side of the crossing.
• the traffic travelling in the opposite direction is then legally required to stop. Once it has slowed or stopped, the other patrol member extends their STOP sign.
• children start crossing when traffic on both sides of the road has stopped.

2. Visibility issues

If your patrol team could have problems seeing approaching traffic-perhaps because the crossing is near a corner-one option is to add a third person to the team. Your school community officer will determine whether this is necessary as part of your school's training programme.

Located where they have a good view of oncoming traffic, the third person becomes the leader and gives the commands to the other team members. However, there are potential dangers for the third person, so this option will only be used in special circumstances.

If these solutions are impractical or no longer working or your school, contact your road controlling authority or school community officer about alternative solutions. These could include relocating the crossing or installing systems such as traffic lights.

3. Windy conditions

If it's too windy to use the signs safely, school patrols should operate as school wardens instead. This means no signs or any other objects to stop traffic.

Without the signs they no longer have power to stop traffic. They can still raise their arms to stop pedestrians, but not to stop traffic, and tell them when it is safe to cross.

Patrol members must not go off patrol while students are still waiting to cross. 

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Going on School Patrol

Patrol members need to arrive at school with enough time to put on their uniforms, take the STOP signs from the storage area and make their way to the patrol location by the time the patrol is due to start

I. Carrying the signs

STOP signs are safest when carried 'stretcher fashion', preferably with the discs at the front. Take extra car on windy days, when it might be a good idea to have the discs horizontal, facing the ground,to reduce wind resistance. 

If you're operating a kea crossing, the supervisor carries the two kea flags and must put them in place before the patrol starts

The patrol leader and supervisor should ensure that pedestrians are not allowed to cross the road while the patrol is being set up.

II. Setting up the patrol

When the patrol reaches the crossing:

1. The patrol member who's going to cross the road stands behind the person who won't be crossing.

2. The person staying behind attaches their sign to the post and both patrol members hold their signs parallel to the road.

What's a barrier arm?

A barrier arm is an arm raised sideways at right angles to the body to prevent children on the footpath trying to cross the road.

3. The leader checks the approaching traffic. When they can see that there's no approaching traffic between the crossing and an established 'mark' or reference point, they call 'Sign Out'. Both patrol members swing their signs into the roadway so the signs are parallel to each other.

4. The leader calls 'Check'. Both patrol members check that any approaching traffic is going to stop. On multi-lane highways, this includes checking that no-on, including cyclists, is trying to overtake a stationary vehicle. If in doubt, the patrol members wait until all vehicles have stopped.

5. The second patrol member calls 'Clear'- when both patrol members are sure that traffic will stop.

6. The leader calls 'On patrol' and holds out one arm as a barrier, called the barrier are, to stop any student crossing.

7. The other patrol member walks across the road, holding their sign, disc first, at right angles to the traffic so ti can be seen easily.

8. When the other patrol member reaches the footpath, or kerb extension, on the other side, they swing their sign so it's parallel to the road, out of the way of traffic. The leader calls 'Signs in' and swings their sign in. The other patrol member attaches their sign to the post.

III. Operating the patrol

Once the patrol has been set up, it needs to operate quickly, smoothly and efficiently to minimize traffic disruption and delays. It's important to make sure that children waiting to cross stand well back from the STOP sign or behind the pedestrian limit line, so that patrol members have a clear view of the road.

Patrols operate in five steps:

1. The patrol members check approaching traffic. When there's a suitable gap, the leader call 'Signs out'. In unison, the patrol members raise their barrier arms and swing their STOP signs into the roadway. 

2. The leader calls 'Check'. Both patrol members look to make sure any approaching vehicles are going to stop.

3. The second patrol member confirms that traffic is slowing or has stopped by calling 'Clear'. The leader call 'Crossing' and both patrol members lower their barrier arms.

4. As the last pedestrian enters the crossing, the patrol member raises their barrier arm to prevent latecomers trying to cross.

5. When the last pedestrian reaches the footpath or kerb extension, the leader calls 'Signs in' and both patrol members lower their barrier arms an swing in their signs. 

VI. Ending the patrol

Patrols follow six steps before going off duty:

1. When it's time to finish the school patrol, and as long as there are no pedestrians waiting to cross, the leader or adult supervisor lets the team know they're going off petrol.

2. The patrol member who's going to cross the road unhooks their STOP sign and rests the hook at the foot of the post. When there's a suitable break in the traffic, the leader calls 'Signs out' and both patrol members swing their signs into the road and raise their barrier arms.

3. The leaders call 'Check' and both patrol members check that any approaching vehicles are about to stop

4. The second member calls 'Clear'- when both patrol members are sure that traffic will stop.

5. When it's all clear, the leader calls 'Off patrol'. The returning patrol member crosses the road, holding their STOP sign at right angles to the traffic.

6. When they'er safely clear of the crossing, the remaining patrol member removes their sign and both signs are carried stretcher fashion to the equipment storage area. Note they should be carried parallel to the roadway, with particular care around other people and vehicles.

If you're operating a kea crossing, the supervisor removers both flags after the patrol members have come off the crossing.

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Your school patrol equipment

School patrol equipment comprises:

• STOP signs, provided by your road controlling authority
• Removable flags for kea crossing, also provided by the road controlling authority 
• Uniform that clearly identify students as school traffic safety team members
• Notebooks and pencils for patrol supervisors, for recording details of unsafe or illegal driver behaviour

1. Signs and Flags

The main school patrol signs are: 

• STOP signs: large re discs with the words 'STOP SCHOOL PATROL' in white. They are attached to long poles with hinge brackets attached. Usually made of aluminium, the signs are bulky but not heavy and need to be handled with care, especially in windy conditions.

• Kea crossing flags: lightweight, collapsible diamond-shaped flags made of soft orange or red fluorescent material. These signs are placed in posts on the kea crossing kerb extensions so they're visible to approaching drivers. 

2. Patrol Uniforms

There are two uniforms: a summer safety jacket for dry weather, and a waterproof safety jacket for wet weather and in low-visibility conditions. The jackets clearly identify the wearers as school traffic safety team members.

Patrol members must always wear the correct uniform while on duty.

3. Caring for the equipment

Please ensure that patrol members and others treat all school patrol equipment with respect.

All equipment should be stored in a dedicated area that:

• is secure
• is dry and out direct sunlight
• has hooks for hanging up the uniforms and signs
• is easy to access

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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.

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School Patrols

Safe School Zoon

School patrols help to keep students safe on the road by controlling the flow of vehicles and pedestrians at pedestrian crossings and 'kea' crossings, school crossing points.

Operating before and after school, patrol members extend STOP signs onto the road in both directions, which signal approaching drivers to stop. Once the traffic is slowing or has stopped, the patrol signals to waiting pedestrians that it's safe to cross the road.

Each duty patrol is typically made up of two students, with one designated the leader, and a supervising adult.

Before a school patrol can operate, all team members and supervisors need to have been trained by a police school community officer. 

What's a pedestrian crossing?

A pedestrian crossing is made up of

• White strips that run parallel to the road line
• Poles on each roadside marked with black and white stripes, topped with orange globes or discs
• Roadside warning signs on each approach to the crossing
• Optional diamonds on the roadway, on approaches to the crossing
• Vehicle ' hold line ' on the road at the crossing point 

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