School crossings
School Crossing Patrol (external link) teams are members of
their local community who enjoy helping others to get safely to
their destination and often this means their own children as
well.
Cumbria County Council, schools and the Police have no legal
obligation to provide cover in the absence of a patroller, who may
be off sick, for example. However neighbouring schools are always
promptly informed if a crossing site becomes unmanned so that
parents can be advised.
How crossing locations are chosen
The decision on whether a crossing location qualifies for a
patrol is made by the county council’s local committees. A request
for a new crossing patrol can be made to the area support manager
for the county council’s local committee, who will then organise an
assessment of the crossing location. This assessment involves
undertaking a survey of the number of vehicles on the road and
pedestrians at peak traffic times. The results of this survey are
then compared to nationally agreed criteria.
The assessment takes into account local factors such as
- Road and footpath width
- Vehicle speed
- Site visibility
- Age of children crossing the road
- Child pedestrian accident data
- Bus stops near the crossing
- Road junctions