Choosing a School Safety Patrol
For children’s safety
Adults crossing guards vs. school safety patrollers
Adult crossing guards
Adult crossing guards are posted at high-traffic areas and intersections with stoplights. Read the guide developed by the Société de l’assurance automobile du Québec entitled: Le brigadier scolaire adulte: au service de la sécurité routière (in French only).
Topics covered include the importance of adult supervision at dangerous intersections, and how to assess how dangerous an intersection is. The CAA-Quebec School Safety Patrol program is aimed at student patrollers only.
School Safety Patrollers
School Safety Patrollers may assist adult crossing guards or be posted at pedestrian crossings that aren’t as busy. Schools may also have student safety patrollers inside the building, on the schoolyard, or on the bus.
Choosing school patrol types and determining workstations
Experience tells us that the Patrol Chief has everything to gain by contacting traffic experts, such as police officers, to assess how dangerous the intersections around the school are. You should also talk to the principal to determine if other patrols should be stationed in school buses or inside or outside the school.
Think strategically! It’s easier to target problem areas first. That will help you decide what types of patrols you need.
Are you setting up a bus patrol?
Take a look at a sample letter for school bus drivers in the Patrol Chief Toolkit.