AAA School Safety Patrol

AAA School Safety Patrol was founded in Chicago in 1920 by Charles M. Hayes, president of the Chicago Motor Club, after several children at a school crossing were killed by a speeding car. Horrified by the incident, Hayes pledged to help prevent such a tragedy from happening again. The first patrol was established with two dozen boys trained to assist students cross the road safely. Today, the AAA School Safety Patrol includes 585,000 members in 30,000 schools across the U.S. To honor of Hayes’ vision and dedication, the AAA School Safety Patrol Charles M. Hayes Advancement Fund was established by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety. Each year, the fund honors a patrol advisor of the year and provides grants to schools in need of assistance furthering their safety patrol programs. The AAA School Safety Patrol has been praised by education and safety groups around the world for reducing injuries and fatalities among school children age 5 to 14. In 1949, AAA established the AAA Lifesaving Medal to recognize the heroics of AAA School Safety Patrollers who saved a life during their patrol duties. Since then, AAA has documented 392 lives saved through the community service program. The AAA Lifesaving Medal will be awarded to its most recent recipients on Wednesday, April 21, during a ceremony in Washington, D.C.