By Tanya Steele
A day to celebrate the essential role of school crossing supervisors and to remind drivers to slow down and remain attentive in school zones fast approaches.
School crossing supervisor awareness day is on Australia on Friday 7 February and across the Yarra Valley and Dandenong Ranges supervisors continue to show up in their high vis to support their local schools.
Parent Kate said she is grateful not just for the safety their local crossing guard provides but also for the smile and cheery “hello” she greets her son with for every school day.
“It’s these small, personal interactions that make long days shorter and heavy days lighter,” she said.
Michelle, a past parent from Ferny Creek Primary School said she loved the care and dedication the crossing guards have had over the years.
“My kids felt very safe and enjoyed getting to know the guards. We even gave them Christmas presents each year,” she said.
School crossing supervisors help children and adults safely cross roads near schools during drop-off and pick-up times. They play a crucial role in ensuring the safety of community members of all ages.
Yarra Ranges Director of Communities, Leanne Hurst said their crossing supervisors do a spectacular job of keeping children safe and managing traffic around schools for drop off and pick up.
“We have some supervisors whose years of service pre-date the amalgamation of Yarra Ranges Council, which is a testament to the commitment of these supervisors and the care they take in keeping children safe,” she said.
“The majority of road users are extremely courteous and friendly to our supervisors and children – many of them being parents and guardians themselves – but we still experience some aggressive and impatient behaviours from motorists who do not wish to stop, and people travelling at speeds inconsistent with school speed zones, which is incredibly disappointing.”
According to the Schools Crossing Victoria website school crossings were introduced in Victoria after World War II, positioned near schools on roads frequently crossed by pedestrians during peak school times.
These crossings featured two large red and white posts with flags, along with two smaller posts and white road markings. Initially, they were unsupervised.
In 1973, the need for supervisors became clear after a series of serious accidents at flagged crossings, including fatal double incidents involving children.
Rupert Hamer, then Premier of Victoria, travelled to Britain in 1974 to study school crossings. Upon his return, he presented his findings to Parliament, and the government allocated a budget of $1 million per year to employ supervisors for the flagged crossings.
These supervisors would be paid a wage, and it was decided that they would be employed by the municipalities where the crossings were located.
Today in Melbourne crossing guards face daily weather whiplash – working through all kinds of weather and driving conditions for their community.
Police have also posted to social media to remind locals to drive safely around local schools as school zones are now in operation.
From 8am to 9.30am and 2.30pm to 4pm on School Days a speed limit of 40km per hour applies – unless signed otherwise and some school crossings across the Yarra Ranges face the extra challenge of being located out of a lower speed zone so stopping for your crossing guard is very important.
“Road safety isn’t optional, and it’s not only important when you have time,” Ms Hurst said.
“We strongly encourage all drivers to be courteous and mindful of school speed zones, and the behaviour they take into school zones. All it takes is a moment of inattention or aggression to change someone’s life forever.”
