The Isle of Wight Council and the Island’s police have launching a campaign to warn motorists that failing to stop for a road-crossing patrol risks lives and is against the law.
The Isle of Wight Council Road Safety Team manage the Island’s 45 Road Crossing Patrols. Last year there were six separate incidents across the Island involving drivers who failed to stop for the crossing wardens, even though they were in the middle of the road, clearly showing their lollipop ‘Stop’ sign. Thankfully, none of these incidents resulted in injury, but each posed a threat to the lives of children and council staff.
The Isle of Wight Council Road Safety team are launching a Stop Means Stop media campaign and distributing specially designed posters to schools, and public places to ensure that Island drivers get the message that failing to stop for a crossing warden is very serious and carries the following penalties:
· £1,000 fine
· three points on your licence
Brian Crane, the council’s Principal Road Safety officer said: “I am deeply concerned about the attitude and gross inattention that some drivers display when confronted by a road crossing patrol standing in the middle of the road. If you see a warden with their sign up either at the side of the road or on the highway, they are signalling for drivers to stop. All drivers are required by law to treat these ‘STOP’ signs as a red traffic light and STOP.”
The campaign is endorsed by Hampshire and Isle of Wight Police and drivers who do not stop will now be reported directly to Police and processed within a very short timescale. Wardens are issued with notebooks to jot down the numbers of offenders, or can use chalk to write on the black stripe on their Stop Sign.
Councillor Ian Ward, Isle of Wight Council Cabinet Member for Environment Transport and Planning said: “Every day our patrol staff do an amazing job, seeing the Island’s children and their families safely to and from school in all weathers. These careless and inconsiderate actions are putting their lives at risk, and also the lives of children. I am pleased to hear that the Road Safety Team has, with the help of Chief Superintendent, Stephanie Morgan, set up a more robust reporting system for dealing with drivers who commit these offences.”