WHEREAS, The State of California has the second highest number of crossing guards in the country; and

WHEREAS, Adult school crossing guards play an important role in the lives of children who walk or bicycle to school by helping them safely cross the street at key locations; and

WHEREAS, The presence of crossing guards makes parents feel comfortable about their children walking or bicycling to school; and

WHEREAS, The job of a crossing guard is dangerous work that often goes unappreciated by motorists and the risks are only expected to increase; and

WHEREAS, Crossing guards are routinely subjected to insults and profanity by drivers who blame the guards for lengthening their already slow commutes; and

WHEREAS, When traffic worsens in California, police say motorists are more likely to speed and ignore rules of the road to make up for time lost in the congestion; and

WHEREAS, That behavior is even more common around schools, where increased crowding only compounds the problem; and

WHEREAS, A recent national survey found that nearly two-thirds of all motorists speed around school zones; and

WHEREAS, Crossing guards are the only line of defense between schoolchildren and those speeding, frustrated motorists; and

WHEREAS, Crossing guards are narrowly missed by hurried and preoccupied motorists who roll through crosswalks before guards and children can get to the curb; and

WHEREAS, Parents and civic leaders are persistent in their demands for more signs, markings, and signals in and around school areas and other locations that attract children; and

WHEREAS, Accident statistics indicate that children are more often involved in nonschool related accidents and this may be indicative that the standard treatments prescribed for traffic control around school facilities are effective; and

WHEREAS, Following uniform standards and safety provisions is a contributing factor to reducing the risk of pedestrian accidents; and

WHEREAS, The job of a crossing guard has become so dangerous that the employees union that represents crossing guards in the City of Los Angeles included a requirement in its latest contract that the city launch a television, radio, and newspaper campaign warning motorists to watch out for them; and

WHEREAS, Adult crossing guards are role models who help children develop the skills necessary to cross streets safely at all times; now, therefore, be it