Stop means stop!

Pembrokeshire County Council is urging drivers to be prepared to stop at school crossing patrols.

It follows increasing concern that motorists are failing to stop for the County’s lollypop men and women.

Since November 2014 – when a school crossing patrol in Fishguard was struck by a car – council officers have been monitoring near misses and have logged numerous incidents of vehicles  failing to stop for the patrols.

A number of these incidents have been reported to the police.

Now the County Council’s road safety department is running a Stop Means Stop campaign for the month of October.

Councillor Rob Lewis, Cabinet Member for Transportation, said he was concerned by the inconsiderate and often reckless behavior of some drivers.

“We have school crossing patrols for a reason,” he said.

“They are there to ensure the safety of our children when they go to and from school. I cannot understand how some drivers are prepared to flout the law and ignore them.

“They face not just fines and a points on their license but possibly the injury of someone, or even worse, on their conscience.”

Under the Road Traffic Act 1988, drivers are legally obliged to obey the school crossing patrol sign.

The law states that as soon as a patrol raises their sign, even if they have not stepped into the road, drivers must be prepared to stop.

Once the patrol is in the road displaying the sign, drivers MUST stop, and not proceed until the lollypop man/woman and any accompanying children and/or adults have cleared the road.

Anyone who is reported for not stopping will likely be prosecuted and could face a fine of up to £1,000 and have three penalty points on their driving license.

Caption
Pupils at Holy Name Catholic Primary School in Fishguard are pictured outside Pembrokeshire County Council’s Road Safety Officer, Kirstie Donoghue and school crossing patrol officer Sandrea Howells, who was struck by a car last year.