More than 35,000 Irving children will return to school this August, and 72 crossing guards at 56 crossings throughout the city are committed to making the walk to and from school safe for them. One of the most important and enjoyable jobs for crossing guards is working with children to teach them safe street-crossing etiquette, such as how far to stand back from the street while waiting to cross.
Helpful tips for drivers include:
- Pay attention to all traffic signals and commands from school crossing guards. One long whistle means stop; two short whistles mean resume.
- Slow down when there is construction, dense fog or during inclement weather.
- Adhere to the new cell phone ban guidelines, which prohibit the use of cell phones while driving in active school zones.
Crossing supervision is funded by the Irving Police Department and includes two forms of supervision: control of adult pedestrians and motorists, and control of student pedestrians (safety patrol). Guards are not in place for traffic control, but have been trained in traffic direction and are allowed to help ease congestion when necessary. For more information, call the Police Department at (972) 721-2518.