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Across the country, school crossing guards provide a vital service to the safety of children as they walk to and from school. Many of them say the job is rewarding. But an investigation by the AP and Cox Media Group television stations shows it could also be dangerous.
Here are some of the key findings 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 there are at least 230 school crossing guards in 37 states and WashingtonDC, have been hit by vehicles at work in the last decade. About three dozen people were killed. The data, compiled from incident and accident reports requested from nearly 200 police departments, likely represents only a portion of the number of guards injured and killed nationwide.
– Drivers who hit crossing guards rarely face criminal charges, even if the crossing guard dies as a result of their injuries.
Of the 183 incidents involving crossing guards, where the outcome could be determined by police, about half resulted in traffic citations – such as “failure to yield to pedestrian.” About a quarter of drivers had no tickets at all, while a quarter faced criminal charges by police. Police Said that each case should be looked at individually and blame should not be placed for every accident.
– Federal data analyzed by the AP shows crossing guards are one of the most dangerous jobs.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes survey data for on-the-job injuries and deaths in most industries, but school crossing guards are included in the job category with road construction flaggers, and the agency does not publish fatality rates for it. The AP calculated its death toll for about 200 job classifications with at least 10,000 workers and 10 deaths in 2023, the most recent year of labor records available. The AP analysis found that crossing guards and flaggers ranked in the top fifth in terms of on-the-job fatality rates, on par with power line installers and air transportation workers.
– Only two states have made a serious effort to monitor 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 issued eight serious violations to employers and thirty others for noncompliance. In 2022, Massachusetts mandated that cities and towns must report injuries to crossing guards.
– Distracted drivers and speeding vehicles are the main factors contributing to injuries and deaths of crossing guards, but experts say there are other issues as well.
Modern SUVs and trucks have high hoods that create large blind spots, making crossing guards less visible to drivers. Many school zones lack adequate traffic-calming measures such as speed bumps or automated enforcement cameras. Road design often prioritizes vehicle flow over pedestrian safety, with inadequate sight lines and inadequate buffer zones around crosswalks.
– Crossing guards are usually senior citizens or retired.
Of the 160 school crossing guards that the AP and Cox Media Group were able to document the ages of, more than half were over 65 years old.
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This story is a collaboration between the Associated Press and Cox Media Group’s local television stations. This is part of the AP Local Investigative Reporting program. The program provides AP members with workshops, reporting tools and collaboration with AP journalists to help them apply investigative techniques.
Dacia Garner is the 2025 Ida B. Wells Society for Investigative Reporting Intern. Gary Fields and River Zhang contributed reporting.
Contributing to this story from Cox Media Group television stations were: Jody Fletcher, Josh Wade, Ted Daniel, WFXT Boston, Tina Terry and Michael Pratts, WSOC Charlotte, Michelle Newell and Michelle Lierman, WSB-TV atlantaJohn Bedell, WHIO-TV Dayton, Shannon Butler, WFTV Orlando, Deja Mayfield, WJAX/WFOX Jacksonville, Brooke Gardner, KIRO Seattle, Amy Hudak and Alex Popichak, WPXI Pittsburgh.