TODAY: School Safety Patrol Celebrates 100th Anniversary

DENVER (March 2, 2021) - AAA is proud to celebrate its iconic School Safety Patrol program's centennial anniversary. For 100 years, Patrollers around the world have provided school-aged children an extra sense of safety and security when going to and from school. The program has been hailed for its contribution to the steady decline of U.S. student pedestrian (ages 5-14) deaths - a 24 percent decrease since 2010, even as deaths of other pedestrians have trended upward. 

"AAA's School Safety Patrol program is the world's largest school-based safety program. We could not be prouder of the thousands of young men and women annually who dedicate their time before and after school each day to ensure the safety of their classmates," said AAA President and CEO, and former Patroller, Marshall Doney. "This community program teaches safety and leadership skills to ensure our youngest generations are making smart decisions. I can attest firsthand: The important pedestrian and traffic safety measures I learned as a Patroller had a profound and lasting impact on my career."  

While so much has changed in mobility in the past 100 years, one thing remains the same: the School Safety Patrol's mission to provide a safer environment and opportunities for millions of schoolchildren. The training that Patrollers receive instills a safety sense far beyond street crossings, including bus and car drop-offs, monitoring highway congestion, and real-world leadership. 

"As a parent, I can tell you that kids sometimes listen more to their peers than to adults, which is one reason AAA Patrollers are so effective at keeping kids safe," said Cassie Tanner, regional deputy director of public affairs for AAA. "As a mom and as the board president of West Metro Fire Rescue, I've seen firsthand the impact of the School Safety Patrollers. They're lifesavers." 

AAA School Safety Patrol members have grown up to be U.S. presidents, including President Joe Biden, astronauts, governors, members of Congress, Supreme Court justices (William Brennan, Stephen Breyer, Warren Burger, Anthony Kennedy and Clarence Thomas) and Olympic medalists (Eric Heiden, Caitlyn Jenner and Edwin Moses). Many Patrollers now serve as educators, executives, and community leaders. If you're a former Patroller, we'd love to hear your story. Send it to Skyler McKinley, regional director of public affairs, at smckinley@colorado.aaa.com. 

The 2020-21 school year, different as it may be, boasts 679,000 Patrollers in 35,000 schools in the United States. Over the last 100 years, interest in and excitement for the program have also spread around the world. The AAA model has been adopted in at least 30 other countries, including England, France, Germany, the Netherlands, and New Zealand.

Since 1920, AAA provides various equipment and education materials to Patrollers, including reflective belts, patrol badges and training resources. To learn how to bring the AAA School Safety Patrol to your school, email AAASchoolSafetyPatrol@acg.aaa.com.

About AAA - The Auto Club Group
AAA Colorado is a proud part of The Auto Club Group (ACG), the second-largest AAA club in North America with more than 14 million members across 14 U.S. states, the province of Quebec and two U.S. territories. ACG and its affiliates provide members with roadside assistance, insurance products, banking and financial services, travel offerings and more. ACG belongs to the national AAA federation with more than 60 million members in the United States and Canada. AAA's mission is to protect and advance freedom of mobility and improve traffic safety. For more information, get the AAA Mobile app, visit AAA.com, and follow us on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.