Lollipop operatives do tireless work to ensure that children stay safe on their trip to school every weekday morning.
And they have been a permanent fixture on our roads since they were first introduced widely in the 1950s.
There are rules and regulations that are in place to protect operatives, including the DVLA’s ‘TS60’ regulation, Wales Online reports.
It means that drivers that attempt to sneak through in their vehicle while a lollipop operative is making their way onto the road risk being hit with an immediate three points on your licence.
This legislation is also backed by Rule 87 of the Highway Code - which states that drivers must stop when they are told to do so.
Failure to comply with this rule is an offence under the 1984 Road Traffic Act, making you liable for prosecution and a fine.
And while compliance with these rules is generally quite high, there’s still a fair amount of people that ignore them.
A freedom of information request to the DVLA from Select Car Leasing found 13 prosecution for TS60 violations in the last three years alone.
Graham Conway, managing director at the vehicle leasing firm said: “The number of prosecutions are mercifully low compared with other road offences, yet it’s still shocking that some motorists – ‘lollipop lunatics’, as we’ve dubbed them – still feel that they’re in such a rush to get to where they need to be that they can ignore a school crossing patrol operative.
“The potential consequences of a driver turning a blind eye to what are often large groups of children waiting to cross the road are obviously grave indeed.
“And the fact that there are any prosecutions of this nature whatsoever speaks to the selfishness and ignorance of a small minority of those who get behind the wheel.”
While most of us are aware of the work that lollipop operatives do, the numbers of people carrying out the work is dwindling.
The introduction of the Transport Act 2000 saw the legal requirement for schools to have crossing patrol operatives axed.
Recent figures issued by the GMB union suggested there are around 5,000 operatives employed by councils in England, Wales and Scotland.
Aggressive behaviour towards lollipop operatives from drivers has been on the rise since this fall in staff.
Speaking in 2020, a spokesperson for the road safety charity Brake said: “Lollipop people provide a vital service, helping children cross roads safely on their way to school and offering a friendly face that encourages walking and cycling.
“Cuts to council funding are impacting on the safety of our roads and the loss of lollipop people is a troubling sign of this trend. The safety of children should not be compromised and we need to see more investment in safe routes to school, with 20mph speed limits and safe segregated space to walk and cycle.”
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