Protect Yourself! Protect the Children!

“It was raining really hard and visibility wasn’t great, and I saw her step off the curb and I slammed on the brakes... I couldn’t stop, and it went right over her.”

News article quoting an SUV driver who struck and killed a crossing guard.

From 1993 to 2016, 16 NJ adult crossing guards were killed when struck by motor vehicles while at work. An additional 231 adult crossing guards suffered injuries serious enough to require full days away from work as a result of motor vehicle-related accidents.

New Jersey state law mandates that crossing guards receive training* and use required personal protective equipment.
*a minimum of two hours of classroom and 20 hours of supervised field training

• ANSI Type R Class 2 safety vest** -- ** Equivalent to Type 2 vest previously required by ANSI (American National Standards Institute) 
• Retroreflective ‘STOP’ paddle
• Distinctive crossing guard uniform with breast and hat badges with ID#

• Retroreflective gloves
• Whistle
• School crossing signs

• Proceed cautiously into the crosswalk as you alert motorists to stop.
• Don’t assume a vehicle will stop just because you’re holding a STOP sign.
• Give vehicles more time to stop during wet and icy conditions.
• Watch out for passing or turning vehicles.
• Be aware that larger vehicles require longer distances to stop safely.
• Hold up your STOP sign until you and the children have cleared the crosswalk.
• Use hand signals for motorists and verbal signals for children.

Training Resources including videos

• New Jersey Safe Routes to School (NJSRTS) – Crossing Guards: http://www.njcrossingguards.org/
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• Adult School Crossing Guard Training Program, AAA Mid-Atlantic: http://midatlantic.aaa.com/Foundation/SchoolPrograms/SchoolsOpenDriveCarefully/

Personal Protective Equipment

• US DOT, Federal Highway Administration, Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices for Streets and Highways https://mutcd.fhwa.dot.gov/pdfs/2009/pdf_index.htm
• American National Standards Institute (ANSI), Standard for High-Visibility Safety Apparel and Accessories, ANSI/ISEA 107-2015 Type R Class 2. https://www.ansi.org/

New Jersey Statutes

• N.J.A.C. 40A:9-154.1 -- Adult school crossing guards; appointment; term; revocation; qualifications; supervision and direction [pdf 12k] http://www.nj.gov/health/workplacehealthandsafety/documents/occupational-health-surveillance/njac40a9.pdf
• N.J.A.C. 39:4-80.1 -- Penalty for failure to comply with school crossing guard's signal to stop [pdf 13k] http://www.nj.gov/health/workplacehealthandsafety/documents/occupational-health-surveillance/njac39_4_80.pdf
• N.J.A.C. 39:4-36 -- Driver to stop for pedestrian: exceptions, violations. penalties. http://www.nj.gov/oag/hts/pedestrian.html

Fatality Investigation Reports

• NJ Department of Health, Fatality Report 05NJ090, School Crossing Guard Struck and Killed by a Sport Utility Vehicle: https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/face/stateface/nj/05nj090.html.

Injury Statistics Sources

• Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI) Project, NJ Department of Health, in cooperation with the Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor: http://www.bls.gov/iif/oshstate.htm.
• Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses, NJ Department of Labor and Workforce Development, in cooperation with the Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor: https://www.nj.gov/labor/safetyandhealth/resources-support/survey-occupational-injuries-illnesss/.