page_title: Crossing guard
section_title: Germany
hierarchical_section_title: Crossing guard / Germany
caption_attribution_description: For documentary purposes the German Federal Archive often retained the original image captions, which may be erroneous, biased, obsolete or politically extreme. Schülerlotsendienst in Bonn Wegen des immer gefährlicher werdenden Strassenverkehrs sind die Schulen seit kurzem dazu übergegangen, ältere Schüler als "Lotsen" für die jüngeren einzuteilen und zu unterweisen. Sie werden wie auf dem Bild zu sehen ist mit einem Signalstab ausgerüstet und stoppen damit geanu wie die Verkehrspolizei den Verkehr an besonders gefährlichen Übergängen.
context_page_description: A crossing guard, a lollipop man/lady, crosswalk attendant or school road patrol is a traffic management volunteer who is normally stationed on busy roadways to aid pedestrians. Often associated with elementary school children, crossing guards stop the flow of traffic so pedestrians may cross an intersection. Crossing guards are known by a variety of names, the most widely used in the United Kingdom, Ireland and Australia being "lollipop lady/man", a reference to the large signs used that resemble lollipops. The verb is lollipopping, which can also be used for road works.
context_section_description: In Germany the crossing guards are called Schülerlotse (pupil pilot), Verkehrshelfer (traffic assistant) or Schulweghelfer (way-to-school assistant). Due to the increasing traffic the first service started in 1954. Currently there are about 50,000 traffic assistants and traffic cadets in Germany, all of them are volunteers.
  The traffic assistants are trained, organized and equipped by the Deutsche Verkehrswacht (German Traffic Watch Association) in cooperation with the respective state police. To become a traffic assistant, the candidate has to pass an exam which varies from state to state and lasts 6-12 hours. A Verkehrshelfer can become a Verkehrskadett (traffic cadet), if a higher level of training is passed, depending on the state's regulations about 32-120 hours. While the Verkehrshelfer are equipped with reflective jackets and circular traffic signs, there is a ranking structure for traffic cadets and they wear uniforms while on duty.
caption: Verkehrshelfer in 1956 in Germany
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