Road safety handbook: On foot

In this section:

Go to Road safety handbook: On foot
· THE GREEN CROSS CODE
· WHEN WALKING
· PARKED VEHICLES
· USING CROSSINGS WITH TRAFFIC LIGHTS
· CROSSING AT A ZEBRA CROSSING
· CROSSING WHERE THERE IS AN ISLAND IN THE ROAD
· CROSSING AT A JUNCTION
· SCHOOL CROSSING PATROLS AND OTHERS
· CROSSING ONE-WAY STREETS
· CROSSING BUS LANES
· RAILWAY LEVEL CROSSINGS
· A FINAL WORD.

1. Think First

Find the safest place to cross, then stop.
If possible, cross the road at: subways, footbridges, islands, Zebra, Pelican and traffic light crossings or where there is a police officer, school crossing patrol or traffic warden.
If you can't find any good crossing places like these, choose a place where you can see clearly along the roads in all directions, and where drivers can see you.
Never cross on sharp bends or just before the top of a hill.

2. Stop

Stand on the pavement near the kerb.
Give yourself lots of time to have a good look all around.
Stand a little way back from the kerb - where you can still be away from the traffic, but where you can still see if anything is coming.

3. Use your eyes and ears.

4. Wait until it's safe to cross

If traffic is coming, let it pass.
Do not cross unless there is a safe gap and you are sure there is plenty of time.
If you are not sure, don't cross.

5. Look and Listen

6. Arrive Alive

When there is a pavement or footway, use it! Take care on the street, use your head before your feet!
Where there is no pavement, walk on the right hand side of the road to face the traffic coming towards you.
Walk one behind the other at bends in the road or at night or if there is a lot of traffic. Take special care if you can't see the road very far ahead.
Take care when crossing cycle lanes on the road, cyclists may be travelling quietly but may be faster than other traffic.
If you are looking after somebody younger than you, always hold their hand when using the road.

Try not to cross between parked cars. Find a place where you can see, then you can cross easily!

Choose a place where there is a space between two cars and make sure that it is easy to get to the other side of the road.
Make sure neither car is about to move off - look for drivers in the cars, lights, and listen for engines.
Walk to the outside edge of the cars and stop. Here you can be seen by drivers and you can look all around for traffic.
Use the Green Cross Code. When it is clear, cross - but keep looking and listening as you go!

Some crossings have a red and a green man.

Push the button and wait where you can see the signal and traffic.
Once the green man shows and traffic has stopped you can cross. Even if you hear the bleeper sound, you should still keep looking for traffic - even if the man's gone green, don't be too keen!
Only cross when you see a green man. When the green man disappears, there could be:

· A flashing green man opposite
· A red man signal opposite
· No signal opposite

Remember:

You may have to wait a little time. Be patient!
Cross the road quickly, but don't run!
Some crossings have an island in the middle of the road. Treat each half of the crossing as a separate crossing; press the button and wait for the green man.

If there is a zebra crossing, use it!

Wait on the pavement near the kerb until all the traffic has stopped before you start to cross. Don't be a fool, take your time, and play it cool.
After traffic has stopped from both directions, walk across on the black and white stripes.
Keep looking all round and listening in case a driver has not seen you.

Use the Green Cross Code to cross to the island. Stop there and use the code again to cross to the second half of the road. Remember to look all around and listen.
If there is an island then treat each half of the crossing as separate crossings. Do not assume that vehicles will stop. Check that they have stopped before crossing.
Watch out for overtaking vehicles.

If you have to cross at a road junction, look out and listen for traffic turning the corner, especially from behind you.

When school crossing patrols, police officers or traffic wardens are controlling the traffic, wait until they signal you to cross the road. Always cross in front of them.

Use the Green Cross Code when crossing one-way streets. Check which way the traffic is going. If there is more than one lane of traffic, do not cross until it is safe to cross the whole road.

In bus lanes, buses may go faster than other traffic. Sometimes they go in the opposite direction. Cyclists and taxis may also be using them so take special care when crossing.

Always obey the instructions shown.
There are many kinds of crossings: They may have gates or barriers or neither. There may also be warning lights or bells.
You must never cross when red lights flash or when you can hear warning sounds.
Always stop behind the STOP line. Never go past a barrier that is down.

Remember:

If the lights continue to flash after a train has gone, another train is coming. It is not safe to cross until the lights go out.
If there are no flashing red lights, warning sounds or gates, you should still stop, look and listen to make sure it is safe to cross.

Plan each journey. Work out beforehand where do you want to go, and what is the safest way to get there.
Make sure that drivers can see you.

· What sort of clothes should you wear?
· Are you standing somewhere that drivers expect you to be?
· Use the Green Cross Code when you are crossing the road.