Directing Traffic

[Mug]

A few years ago at my primary school I remember some kid getting an award for directing traffic. Apparently the lollipop lady wasn't there and the police didn't turn up to assist.
Can I have clarification an the legality of that?

I heard something about having to be a cop or pilot driver? Or is that just at traffic lights?

[yorky]

Wouldn't be legal. Yes you would have to be an officer and a traffic warden is an extension of the WA Police (as stated on their vest). I'm sure there are other certifications (like road workers type stuff) that could be done to cover your rear end but anyway.

If the kid really knew what he was doing, no harm done but the school encouraging someone under-age (and primary school?) in my books is really stretching things. Considering these days we barely allow 16-18 year olds to drive a car without firstly going through tests and even then there is speculation that the brain isn't fully developed to make proper decisions. A (at a guess) 10 year old actually stopping traffic would be disastrous if he was hit.

[Mug]

I doubt the kid knew what he was doing. To be honest he wasn't well... the sharpest knife in the drawer
What consequences could follow such actions?

[yorky]

Can't say for sure but being under-age, a slap on the wrist.

The road traffic code states you must be an “Authorised person”. Also states here: (ii) while the authorised person is wearing reflective apparel of a type approved by the Commissioner of Police.

I'm guessing he wasn't wearing a vest either?

[Mug]

I'm guessing he wasn't wearing a vest either?

I wasn't directly present , I'm guessing not.

[Zebedee]

My take on the whole thing is that anyone can direct traffic ... or attempt to. Whether motorists bother to follow those directions though is another matter

I'm sure that if a person who wasn't "authorised" as per the legislation were to try, and got cleaned up by a motorist, then the insurance details would get a bit messy. They certainly wouldn't be covered I don't think.

However, at the scene of an accident, or something like that, I don't believe that should stop a good samaritan from trying to assist. It's all dependent on time, place and circumstance I suppose.

[playworth]

you got to have basic traffic control ticket(permit) to be able to to do point duties traffic..


go do it for $100 at WARP(wa road projects) in madddington.

or ATM (advaned traffic management)

[Infernal]

Back in NZ the year 7 Students did Lollipop duty we had huge signs we could barley lift, that drooped into a hinge on a Island on the road.

3 kids did the job after school, one on whistle and 2 on signs, the whistle guy was on the opposite side of the road to the school.

We had them in. Kids would line up behind us in between the to Islands that protruded out from the food path on to the highway, to the start of the Zebra Crossing

the whistle would blow and we would swing out signs out and cover half the road each, like level crossing gates, and hold out arm up to stop kids from crossing, the whistle would blow again, we would drop our arms and let kids cross, then it would blow again and we would swing out signs back in, for round 2