In-built cameras to combat 'lollipop rage' » Education » 24dash.com

Councils are arming school crossing patrols with a hi-tech weapon to combat acts of "lollipop rage", it was announced today.

Patrolmen and women are to receive new lollipop signs with an inbuilt camera to record rage incidents and car number plates.

The initiative follows an estimated 1,400 lollipop rage incidents reported to councils last year.

Dozens of lollipop men and women have needed hospital treatment after being hit by cars and others have complained of regular abuse and intimidation.

 Typical offences include:

• Driving around the patrol when they are in the road.
• Revving engines or sounding horns while both the patrol and children are crossing.
• Driving closely to the patrol.
• Swearing and using threatening language.

David Francis was a lollipop man in Gosport, Hampshire, until he was seriously injured in an incident last year. He is still unable to walk unaided and continues to take medication.

He said: "I found being a school crossing patrol an extremely rewarding job. The children learn that they must concentrate when crossing the road, and they rely on you to help them cross safely.

"I'm thankful every day that the children weren't hurt, but it deeply saddens me that children saw me lying injured in the road. A few seconds earlier and the outcome could have been far worse."

Councillor David Sparks, chairman of the Local Government Association's transport board, said: "It's unbelievable that we have to take this action, but the lives of children are at risk from increasing numbers of drivers who are so selfish that they are willing to put lives at risk by refusing to stop for 30 seconds at a school crossing.

"Councils will do everything in their power to stamp this out. Abuse and intimidation of lollipop men and women who are carrying out a vital service to the community will also not be tolerated.

"Motorists need to be made aware that they are committing a criminal offence and we hope this new technology will prove an effective deterrent."

Kirklees Council is one of the first in the country to test the new signs and a spokeswoman said they hoped to be able to issue them to patrol staff in the future.

Vera Irving, 54, has been a lollipop lady for 20 years and today used a prototype of the new sign at her crossing in Long Lane, Dalton, Huddersfield, West Yorkshire.

She said she had experienced a number of incidents of "lollipop rage" during her time as school crossing patrol staff and believed the signs could be the way to combat such behaviour.

Mrs Irving said: "It's excellent. It's about time to me that something was done because there's far too many near-misses.

"You have these motorists that have the attitude where they think 'Oh, I won't stop for a lollipop lady, why should I?' and they just go through. But once it happens it's too late. By the time you've got a pen and piece of paper out of your pocket the motorist has already gone through. It's so quick they get away with it.

"So having this camera in the lollipop is great because they can't get away with it. To me it's an excellent idea and hopefully all of us will have one."

Mrs Irving added that even if she did take down a driver's number, she needed witnesses to prove that an offence had been committed.

"If you take their number, it's your word against theirs unless you've got witnesses so there's nothing you can do about it. With the camera in the lollipop it doesn't matter if you've got witnesses, the evidence is there. They won't get away with it, their car and number plate is on film," she said.

Mrs Irving said she hoped the new signs would act as a deterrent to drivers who did not want to risk a £1,000 fine and three penalty points on their licences.

"It will certainly make people think. Even if all patrol staff aren't issued with them, how are the drivers to know that? You can't tell just by looking at the sticks so just the thought that the sign might have a camera in it should stop them. Is it worth £1,000 fine and points? I think not," she said.