Date: 10 August 2006 20:17

STOP MEANS STOP CAMPAIGN HAILED A SUCCESS

A campaign targeted at motorists who deliberately ignore school crossing 
patrols and drive past or at them has been hailed a success.

So called drive through incidents have dropped by 12 per cent in the last 
year following Cambridgeshire County Council's Stop Means Stop campaign.

 School Crossing Patrols, who provide a vital service and help children, 
parents and carers, cross the road are all members of their local 
communities.

However, a minority of drivers put the patrols and children in danger by 
driving at them, using threatening or abusive language and in one case 
injuring them.

 Thousands of stickers and leaflets were used in the campaign as well as 
advertisements, including at football matches, to get the message across to 
motorists.

Although there is no legal duty to provide School Crossing Patrols, 
Cambridgeshire County Council sees this service as highly important to 
improve safety. It has helped the County achieve a record low in the number 
of people killed or seriously injured on Cambridgeshire's roads.

 The service relies on people from the local area to come forward - they 
receive training and equipment as well as payment.

Cambridgeshire has had a successful recruitment campaign with one of the 
lowest vacancy rates in the country of just 2 per cent - the national rate 
is around 27 per cent.

Andy Swallowe, School Crossings Patrol Service Manager for Cambridgeshire 
County Council, said: "School Crossing Patrols are really unsung heroes who 
make sure our children get across the road safely. We are pleased that this 
campaign to improve their safety has been successful and motorists have 
listened. However, there still is a minority of drivers who are acting like 
idiots and driving at or abusing these patrols who are just doing their job. 
We and the Police will continue to target these motorists as this behaviour 
is totally unacceptable."

John Reynolds