A crossing guard (

North American English North American English (NAmE) encompasses the English language as spoken in both the United States and Canada. Because of their related histories and cultures, plus the similarities between the pronunciations (accents), vocabulary, and grammar ...

), lollipop man/lady/person (

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. * British national identity, the characteristics of British people and culture ...

, Irish, and

Australian English Australian English (AusE, AusEng, AuE, AuEng, en-AU) is the set of variety (linguistics), varieties of the English language native to Australia. It is the country's common language and ''de facto'' national language. While Australia has no of ...

), or school road patrol (

New Zealand English New Zealand English (NZE) is the variant of the English language spoken and written by most English-speaking New Zealanders. Its language code in ISO and Internet standards is en-NZ. It is the first language of the majority of the populati ...

) is a

traffic Traffic is the movement of vehicles and pedestrians along land routes. Traffic laws govern and regulate traffic, while rules of the road include traffic laws and informal rules that may have developed over time to facilitate the orderly an ...

management personnel who is normally stationed on busy

road A road is a thoroughfare used primarily for movement of traffic. Roads differ from streets, whose primary use is local access. They also differ from stroads, which combine the features of streets and roads. Most modern roads are paved. Th ...

ways to aid

pedestrian A pedestrian is a person traveling on foot, by wheelchair or with other mobility aids. Streets and roads often have a designated footpath for pedestrian traffic, called the '' sidewalk'' in North American English, the ''pavement'' in British En ...

s. Often associated with

school A school is the educational institution (and, in the case of in-person learning, the Educational architecture, building) designed to provide learning environments for the teaching of students, usually under the direction of teachers. Most co ...

children, crossing guards stop the flow of traffic so pedestrians may cross an intersection. Crossing guards are known by a variety of names, the most widely used in the United Kingdom, Ireland and Australia being "lollipop lady/man/person", a reference to the large signs used that resemble

lollipop A lollipop is a type of sugar candy usually consisting of hard candy mounted on a stick and intended for sucking or licking. Different informal terms are used in different places, including lolly, sucker and sticky-pop. Lollipops are avail ...

s. The verb is lollipopping, which can also be used for road works.

Australia and the United Kingdom

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...

and the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...

, a school crossing supervisor or school crossing patrol officer is commonly known as a lollipop man, lollipop lady, or lollipop person because of the modified circular

stop sign A stop sign is a traffic sign designed to notify drivers that they must come to a complete stop and make sure the intersection (road), intersection (or level crossing, railroad crossing) is safely clear of vehicles and pedestrians before contin ...

they carry, which resembles a large

. The term was coined in the 1960s when road safety awareness programs were rolled out in schools throughout the UK and the crossing patrols were introduced by the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1967.

Ventriloquist Ventriloquism or ventriloquy is an act of stagecraft in which a person (a ventriloquist) speaks in such a way that it seems like their voice is coming from a different location, usually through a puppet known as a "dummy". The act of ventrilo ...

John Bouchier visited schools nationwide with his ventriloquist dummy to help make children more aware of road safety. During these visits John's main character, a young boy named Charlie, referred to crossing patrol officers as "Lollipop men" for the first time. The term became widely used very quickly and has crossed into popular culture, both in the folk world (the common morris-dance tune "The Lollipop Man" has lewd lyrics in one tradition), and in the pop world (see the song by the band

Sweet Sweetness is a basic taste most commonly perceived when eating foods rich in sugars. Sweet tastes are generally regarded as pleasurable. In addition to sugars like sucrose, many other chemical compounds are sweet, including aldehydes, ketones, ...

). Research in the UK has revealed that crossing guards ('lollipoppers') are seen as the safest school crossing option by parents and children, with nine out of ten (92 per cent) believing that every school should have one. In Australia, school crossing supervisors are employed by state government transport authorities and are posted at crossing sites by government officers. The exceptions to this rule are Victoria, where local councils employ crossing supervisors through their local laws department and

Western Australia Western Australia (WA) is the westernmost state of Australia. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Southern Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east, and South Australia to the south-east. Western Aust ...

, where supervisors are known alternatively as police traffic wardens, and are employed by the traffic management unit of the WA Police. Supervisors in WA use handheld neon stop-flags instead of the traditional lollipop. Under UK law it is an offence for a motorist not to stop if signalled to do so by a patroller. In the past, patrollers only had the authority to stop the traffic for children. The

Transport Act 2000 The Transport Act 2000 (c. 38) is an Act of Parliament, Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It provided for a number of measures regarding transport in Great Britain; the first major change in the structure of the privatised railway sys ...

changed the law so that a patroller had the authority to stop the traffic for any pedestrian. In the UK, the stop sign has the word "STOP", a horizontal strip of black, and an international symbol for children (the symbol is sometimes replaced with the written word "CHILDREN"). The design is based upon the Vienna Convention international standard roadsign for "passing without stopping prohibited". The patrollers are employed by local authorities, but there is a greater degree of standardization of the system across the country than in the US. They are often older people who have retired from full-time employment. They may be based at a pelican crossing, a

zebra crossing A zebra crossing (British English) or a marked crosswalk (American English) is a pedestrian crossing marked with white stripes (zebra markings). Normally, pedestrians are afforded precedence over vehicular traffic, although the significance o ...

, or just an ordinary point on the road widely used as a crossing. Due to an increase in abuse, threats and other aggressive behavior from some drivers, some lollipop people have been issued with cameras, either worn on the body or inside their sign, to record offending cars and registrations. In 1999 it was reported that training in coping with the problem of aggressive drivers would be provided to School Crossing Patrols in

Derby Derby ( ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and Unitary authorities of England, unitary authority area on the River Derwent, Derbyshire, River Derwent in Derbyshire, England. Derbyshire is named after Derby, which was its original co ...

Notable crossing guards

Irene Reid Irene Reid (September 23, 1930 – January 5, 2008) was an American jazz singer. Early life Reid was born and raised in Savannah, Georgia. She sang in church and in high school in Georgia, and moved to New York City in 1947 after her mother d ...

(UK) * Mike Nolan (AUS)

Austria

Austria Austria, formally the Republic of Austria, is a landlocked country in Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine Federal states of Austria, states, of which the capital Vienna is the List of largest cities in Aust ...

the crossing guards are colloquially called ''Schülerlotse'' (German for "School Crossing Guard"). The service was initiated the first time in

Salzburg Salzburg is the List of cities and towns in Austria, fourth-largest city in Austria. In 2020 its population was 156,852. The city lies on the Salzach, Salzach River, near the border with Germany and at the foot of the Austrian Alps, Alps moun ...

in 1964. Most of the crossing guards are about 3,000

volunteers Volunteering is an elective and freely chosen act of an individual or group giving their time and labor, often for community service. Many volunteers are specifically trained in the areas they work, such as medicine, education, or emergenc ...

or men, liable for ''

Zivildienst Zivildienst is the German denomination for the alternative civilian service for conscripted persons who are conscientious objectors to fulfill their national service, typically in the fields of social work (e.g. hospitals, retirement homes, eme ...

'' (an alternative mandatory community service, instead of

military service Military service is service by an individual or group in an army or other militia, air forces, and naval forces, whether as a chosen job (volunteer military, volunteer) or as a result of an involuntary draft (conscription). Few nations, such ...

). If volunteers or officials of the ''Zivildienst'' are not available, this service is fulfilled by officers of the

local Local may refer to: Geography and transportation * Local (train), a train serving local traffic demand * Local, Missouri, a community in the United States Arts, entertainment, and media * ''Local'' (comics), a limited series comic book by Bria ...

federal police A law enforcement agency (LEA) is any government agency responsible for law enforcement within a specific jurisdiction through the employment and deployment of law enforcement officers and their resources. The most common type of law enforcement ...

. The legal denominations are ''Schülerlotse'' for students from the age of 11 until 18 and ''Schulwegpolizist'' (German for "School Crossing Police Officer") for persons over the age of 18. The ''Schülerlotse'' is legally not allowed to stop the traffic, just to show that students want to cross, the ''Schulwegpolizist'' is entitled to stop the traffic. The ''Schülerlotse'' are equipped with reflective jackets and a traffic signs.

Germany

Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...

the crossing guards are called (pupil

pilot An aircraft pilot or aviator is a person who controls the flight of an aircraft by operating its Aircraft flight control system, directional flight controls. Some other aircrew, aircrew members, such as navigators or flight engineers, are al ...

), (traffic assistant) or (way-to-school assistant). Due to the increasing traffic the first service started in 1954. Currently there are about 50,000 traffic assistants and traffic cadets in Germany, all of them are

. The traffic assistants are trained, organized and equipped by the ''Deutsche Verkehrswacht'' (German Traffic Watch Association) in cooperation with the respective

state police State police, provincial police or regional police are a type of sub-national territorial police force found in nations organized as federations, typically in North America, South Asia, and Oceania. These forces typically have jurisdiction o ...

. To become a traffic assistant, the candidate has to pass an exam which varies from

state State most commonly refers to: * State (polity), a centralized political organization that regulates law and society within a territory **Sovereign state, a sovereign polity in international law, commonly referred to as a country **Nation state, a ...

to state and lasts 6–12 hours. A Verkehrshelfer can become a (traffic cadet), if a higher level of training is passed, depending on the state's regulations about 32–120 hours. The Verkehrshelfer are equipped with reflective jackets and circular traffic signs. There is a ranking structure for traffic cadets and they wear uniforms while on duty.

Republic of Ireland

Some school crossings are operated by junior traffic wardens, who are typically senior pupils at the school, working in teams of six.

Japan

Crossing guards in Japan are called ''Gakudōyōgoin'' (学童擁護員). The system started in

Tokyo Tokyo, officially the Tokyo Metropolis, is the capital of Japan, capital and List of cities in Japan, most populous city in Japan. With a population of over 14 million in the city proper in 2023, it is List of largest cities, one of the most ...

in 1959. It was founded as a way to offer employment to widows after

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

New Zealand

New Zealand New Zealand () is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and List of islands of New Zealand, over 600 smaller islands. It is the List of isla ...

, a school crossing patrol, officially called a School Traffic Safety Team, but more commonly known as a School Patrol or Road Patrol, was first introduced in 1931 and has been acknowledged in New Zealand legislation since 1944. Students and supervising teachers are in charge of running the patrols each day, with students being trained each year by the New Zealand Police. Around 950 school patrols operate nationally. The two students on duty control and stop the flow of vehicles approaching a pedestrian crossing (or school crossing point) from either direction allowing school students to safely cross the road. This is done by extending orange school patrol signs onto the roadway in one or both directions so that the words "STOP - SCHOOL PATROL" is clearly displayed to any approaching driver. Once the traffic has stopped, one student verbally instructs pedestrians to cross the road. One of the two students leads the crossing with a series of verbal calls. When a gap in the traffic appears the leader calls "signs out" (both signs are extended onto the road). "Check" (Both students check that traffic is stopping/stopped). "Cross now" (students may cross safely) and finally "signs in" (Signs are withdrawn from road). All traffic is legally required to stop if one or more signs are being displayed. The stop signs used are mounted onto the pedestrian crossing poles which have a hinged bracket attached, allowing the students to easily and quickly extend (swing) the sign out onto the roadway, during breaks in the traffic. These signs are removed from the poles and stored away while the crossing is not in operation and are usually constructed from aluminium, allowing them to be light and relatively easy to carry by younger students. Kea Crossings (school patrols that do not operate on pedestrian crossings), and School Traffic Wardens, are also in place at some

schools where low to medium traffic is present.

Switzerland

The crossing guard service in

Switzerland Switzerland, officially the Swiss Confederation, is a landlocked country located in west-central Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the south, France to the west, Germany to the north, and Austria and Liechtenstein to the east. Switzerland ...

is provided by traffic cadets organized by the Swiss Traffic Cadets Association. Depending on the canton the all volunteer cadets are equipped with different uniforms and a ranking structure.

United States

Adult crossing guards guide children. No universal regulations exist that describe who may be a crossing guard, where crossing guards are stationed, or for what purposes a crossing guard may be employed. This person may be paid or volunteer; the person may be a

employee, a member of local law enforcement, a city employee, or contracted privately. Many elementary school crossing guards are assisted by older students, known by a variety of titles such as " safety monitor" and "

safety patrol Junior safety patrol is a voluntary group of crossing guards involving older students helping younger students cross streets in elementary and middle schools across the United States and Canada. Both the Chicago Motor Club and the St. Paul P ...

." These do not have legal responsibility for the safety of children. The first school safety patrols were formed in the 1920s, because of growing concern for the well-being of

student A student is a person enrolled in a school or other educational institution, or more generally, a person who takes a special interest in a subject. In the United Kingdom and most The Commonwealth, commonwealth countries, a "student" attends ...

s walking to

because of increasing fatalities and crossing incidents. The nation's first school patrol crossing was created in

St. Paul, Minnesota Saint Paul (often abbreviated St. Paul) is the capital city of the U.S. state of Minnesota and the county seat of Ramsey County. As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 311,527, making it Minnesota's second-most populous city a ...

on February 17, 1921. Another early safety patrol was established in

Omaha, Nebraska Omaha ( ) is the List of cities in Nebraska, most populous city in the U.S. state of Nebraska. It is located in the Midwestern United States along the Missouri River, about north of the mouth of the Platte River. The nation's List of United S ...

in 1923. Crossing guards, except those who are duly sworn public safety officers, have no arrest powers, may not write

ticket Ticket or tickets may refer to: Slips of paper * Lottery ticket * Parking ticket, a ticket confirming that the parking fee was paid (and the time of the parking start) * Toll ticket, a slip of paper used to indicate where vehicles entered a to ...

s, and may only forward the

license plate A vehicle registration plate, also known as a number plate (British, Indian and Australian English), license plate (American English) or licence plate (Canadian English), is a metal or plastic plate attached to a motor vehicle or trailer for ...

numbers and other descriptors of alleged violators to local law enforcement, who decide what to do with that information; results may range from nothing at all to a verbal warning to a written

summons A summons (also known in England and Wales as a claim form or plaint note, and in the Australian state of New South Wales as a court attendance notice (CAN)) is a legal document issued by a court (a ''judicial summons'') or by an administrative ag ...

and fine. Similar procedures exist in most areas for

school bus A school bus is any type of bus owned, leased, contracted to, or operated by a school or school district. It is regularly used to Student transport, transport students to and from school or school-related activities, but not including a charter ...

drivers, who may observe motorists disobeying the bus stop arm or flashing lights usually displayed when children are entering or exiting the bus. Crossing guards are injured and/or killed every year. For example in Kansas City, Kansas, Bob S. Nill was credited with saving two children before being struck and killed by a distracted driver.

Signs

Several countries have a unique sign for use by crossing guards to order traffic to stop. In Canada and the United States, crossing guards use a smaller version of the standard octagonal

on a small pole. Australian crossing supervisors sometimes also use a normal octagonal stop sign, but often have other designs. In Japan, children sometimes hold a yellow flag themselves while crossing the street, or sometimes a crossing guard holds one while they cross. File:Australia road sign R6-8.svg, Australia File:Brunei road sign - School Crossing Patrol.svg, Brunei File:Canada Stop sign.svg, Canada File:CL road sign RPI-3.svg, Chile File:Germany - schülerlotsen stoppschild.svg, Germany File:Hong Kong road sign 804.gif, Hong Kong File:IE road sign RUS-032.svg, Republic of Ireland File:Israel road sign 304.svg, Israel File:Crossingstreetflag-japan.svg, Japan File:Mauritius Road Signs - Prohibitory Sign - Prohibition of passing without stopping (Children).svg, Mauritius File:Nederlands verkeersbord F10.svg, Netherlands File:New Zealand road sign R2-4.svg, New Zealand File:Peru - Alto para Ninos.svg, Peru File:Znak T-27.svg, Poland school crossing sign File:Singapore road sign - Mandatory - Manual traffic control - School crossing warden.svg, Singapore File:Turkey road sign TT-2a.svg, Turkey File:UK traffic sign 605.2 (fluorescent).svg, United Kingdom
(Crown Dependencies and British Overseas Territories) File:MUTCD R1-1.svg, United States File:Zimbabwe school crossing sign.svg, Zimbabwe

References

{{Authority control Pedestrian crossings Road safety