In brief
An investigation by AP and Cox Media Group exposes the dangerous conditions school crossing guards endure while protecting children. Data shows at least 230 guards across 37 states have been hit by vehicles in the last decade, with nearly three dozen fatalities. Many drivers escape criminal charges, and federal safety tracking is inadequate. Efforts in states like New Jersey and Massachusetts aim to enhance safety awareness. Key risks include distracted driving and inadequate traffic regulations, with many crossing guards being senior citizens.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Across the country, school crossing guards provide a vital service protecting children as they go to and from school. Many of them say the job is rewarding. But an investigation by AP and Cox Media Group Television Stations shows it can also be dangerous.
Here are some key takeaways from the AP and Cox Media Group Investigation:
—There is no systematic way to track how many crossing guards are injured or killed each year.
A database compiled by the AP and Cox Media Group shows that at least 230 school crossing guards across 37 states and Washington, D.C., were struck by vehicles on the job over the last decade. Nearly three dozen were killed. The data, compiled from incident and accident reports requested from nearly 200 police departments, likely represents only a portion of guards injured and killed nationwide.
— Drivers who hit crossing guards rarely face criminal charges, even if the injuries to crossing guards result in death.
Of the 183 incidents involving crossing guards where an outcome by police could be determined, nearly half resulted in traffic citations – such as “failure to yield to a pedestrian.” About a quarter of the drivers weren’t ticketed at all, while a quarter faced criminal charges by police. Police said each case has to be looked at individually and not every accident warrants charges.
— Federal data analyzed by the AP show that crossing guard is among the most dangerous jobs.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes survey data for on-the-job injuries and deaths across most industries, but school crossing guards are included in a job category with road construction flaggers, and the agency does not publish a fatality rate for it. The AP calculated its own fatality rates for nearly 200 job classifications with at least 10,000 workers and 10 deaths in 2023, the most recent year of available labor records. Crossing guards and flaggers were in the top fifth for death rates on the job, the AP analysis found, on par with power line installers and air transportation workers.
— Just two states have made a serious effort to track crossing guard safety: New Jersey and Massachusetts.
Both states say they took action after several guards were killed by drivers. New Jersey officials say they target school zones for recurring safety inspections and have already issued eight serious violations and thirty others to employers for noncompliance. In 2022, Massachusetts made it mandatory that cities and towns have to report if there’s an injury to a crossing guard.
— Distracted drivers and speeders are the main factors contributing to injuries and deaths to crossing guards, but experts say there are other issues.
Modern SUVs and trucks have higher hoods that create larger blind spots, making crossing guards less visible to drivers. Many school zones lack adequate traffic-calming measures like speed bumps or automated enforcement cameras. Road design often prioritizes vehicle flow over pedestrian safety, with inadequate sight lines and insufficient buffer zones around crosswalks.
— Crossing guards tend to be senior citizens or retirees.
Of the 160 school crossing guards whose ages AP and Cox Media Group were able to document, more than half were over 65 years old.
This story is a collaboration between the Associated Press and Cox Media Group’s local television stations. It is part of The AP Local Investigative Reporting Program.
