Crossing Guards and Flaggers

Some parts of crossing-guard work are being handled by technology, but people still do the rest. For example, many towns now use AI-powered cameras at crossings to catch drivers who roll stop signs ^{[1] [1]}. These cameras take pictures of offending cars and use AI software to read the license plates automatically ^[2] – a job that guards used to do by writing down plate numbers.

In road‐work zones, automatic flagger machines can display STOP/SLOW signs on their own. Engineers have built solar-powered “robotic flaggers” that turn signs or lights to guide traffic without a person ^{[3] [3]}. An industry article even says these “smart cones and automated flaggers” are transforming work‐zone safety ^[4].

Busy crosswalks can also get help: for example, Dubai installed 14 smart crosswalks with AI sensors that detect cars and pedestrians, automatically giving warnings or changing lights to prevent accidents ^[5].

Adoption of these technologies will be mixed. On the plus side, the hardware and software are becoming cheap and available. Wired magazine notes that new AI license-plate readers only cost about $50 per camera per month ^[2], making automated enforcement affordable even for small towns.

In fact, one town now uses cameras to log 10,000 vehicles a day ^[2]. Trials show big safety gains too: in one pilot, drivers’ obedience at a school crossing jumped from 3% to 94% after installing AI cameras ^[1]. And since most schools already have some cameras ^[6], adding AI can mean just a software update rather than a whole new system.