Keeping Crossing Guards Safe: NJDOL Takes Public Awareness Campaign to the Streets

New billboards raise public awareness of distracted driving to protect crossing guards

TRENTON – They stand at intersections in rain, snow, and freezing temperatures, keeping New Jersey's children safe on their way to school. Now, the New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development (NJDOL) is fighting harder than ever to keep crossing guards safe with the kickoff of a fresh public awareness campaign aimed at increasing awareness and safe driving during April for “Distracted Driving Awareness Month.”

Building on its crossing guard safety initiative launched last year, NJDOL is taking its message directly to New Jersey drivers with a bold new public awareness campaign featuring eye-catching billboards at three high-traffic locations across the state. The NJDOL Public Employees’ Occupational Safety and Health (PEOSH) campaign carries a clear message to Garden State drivers: Keep crossing guards safe. They protect our children. Let’s protect them.

"Crossing guards are our family members, neighbors, and serve a vital role in our communities – they show up rain or shine, every single day to make sure our children get to and from school safely," said Acting Labor Commissioner Kevin D. Jarvis. "NJDOL will continue to drive home the critical importance that every driver on New Jersey’s roadways slow down and pay attention to keep crossing guards safe – they protect our children, let’s protect them.”

Billboards That Stop Drivers in Their Tracks

As part of this expanded awareness push, the NJDOL PEOSH crossing guard awareness campaign features billboard placements at three strategic high-traffic locations across New Jersey:

• Rt 17S & I80 E at Exit 64
• Rt 1 (S) 6/10 Mile North of Adam Stanton Road
• I-95 NJ Turnpike 5 mi. South of Exit 8A Facing South

A Crisis That Demands Action

The urgency behind this campaign stems from a rash of serious accidents fueled by inattentive drivers and hazardous weather conditions. These incidents have resulted in fatalities, life-threatening injuries, and hospitalizations that have shaken schools and communities across the Garden State. In 2025 alone, four New Jersey crossing guards were injured in Burlington, Belleville, Fair Lawn, and Paramus. The incident in Burlington occurred just a short walk from where Crossing Guard Bruce Morlack lost his life in the line of duty in December. A recent incident left a New Jersey crossing guard seriously injured and in a medically induced coma after being struck by a delivery truck.

Inclement Weather: A Dangerous and Overlooked Threat

Beyond distracted driving, NJDOL has identified dangerous weather conditions as a critical factor in the recent rash of incidents involving crossing guards. The record-cold temperatures of recent months left many corners snow-covered and put crossing guards at serious risk.

Since launching its crossing guard Local Emphasis Program (LEP) last year, NJDOL's PEOSH has continued to conduct inspections of school districts and police departments statewide to ensure New Jersey’s crossing guards are equipped with:

• High-visibility gear meeting ANSI 107/207 standards, including weather-appropriate attire
• Reflective STP paddles for clear communication in all light conditions
• Comprehensive training, including classroom and field instruction
• Safe, well-maintained crosswalks free from slip, trip, and fall hazards

A Shared Responsibility

NJDOL's campaign is a call to action for every driver who travels New Jersey’s roadway to drive safely. State law prohibits the use of handheld devices while driving, and the 2025 "Put the Phone Away or Pay" enforcement campaign by the Division of Highway Traffic Safety within the Department of Law and Safety in the Office of the New Jersey Attorney General, backed up that message with real consequences for distracted drivers.

"Crossing guards do their part every single day,” said Acting Commissioner Jarvis. “It’s time that as drivers we do our part by making sure we are alert and driving safely each and every time we get on the road."

This effort is part of Governor Sherill’s broader commitment to children’s safety and furthers efforts of the Target Zero Commission working toward the elimination of all traffic deaths and serious injuries in New Jersey by 2040.

For more information on NJDOL's crossing guard safety initiative, visit: www.nj.gov/labor/safetyandhealth/programs-services/peosh/.

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