Road safety - pedestrian crossings
Stop! Look! Listen!
These are the first points to learn.
Parents and children should practice together on quiet roads near home. First show them what to do. Parents should then allow children to lead them across.
Finally children should be left to cross while parents wait behind watching carefully.
The risk of a road accident increases when children start school.
Most happen when they are unsupervised so make sure an adult supervises when they cross the road.
Young children are not ready to cross alone.
Take the safest route to school and cross roads at the safest place, parents should explain why. Where there is a crossing use it.
Ages 7 to 9 > Now for the Green Cross Code
From the age of 7 the six rules of the Green Cross Code should be explained.
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When parents are sure their children know and understand the Green Cross Code, they should let them start by crossing the quiet roads where they have been practising. The child should be watched and tested before being allowed to cross alone.
Children, together with parents, should start to practice crossing busier roads together, doing this many times before allowing children to cross alone.
Once children are ready to make the journey to school alone, risk of accidents can be reduced further by making them easily seen, bright or fluorescent clothes show up best by day, especially in dull or misty weather, but fluorescent clothing does not work after dark.
Ages 10 to 15 > Help them to think for themselves.
Parents should keep talking to their children about the dangers of traffic. Pointing out people who are endangering themselves or others. Parents should check the routes to school and discuss together how to deal with any dangers and how to avoid them.
Children should practice judging speed and distance of approaching vehicles on a busy road and identifying safe gaps for crossing. Parents should stress to children that they should never blindly follow others across the road. They must always think for themselves.
How to use a Zebra Crossing
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At the crossing, stop at the kerb
Wait for the traffic to stop
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When the traffic has stopped
Walk across but keep looking and listening all around in case a driver has not seen the crossing and tries to overtake a car, which has stopped. Always cross on the stripes, as many accidents happen close to zebra crossings.
If the crossing has an island in the middle of it, stop there and wait for the traffic on the other side of the island to stop before you continue to cross.
How to use a Pelican Crossing
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At the crossing , stop at the kerb
Press the button and wait for the 'green man' signal to light up. Never cross while the red man is showing.
Check that vehicles are stopping, then walk across, keep looking all around and listening in case a driver has not seen the crossing and does not stop.
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When the Green Man starts to flash on and off
The traffic will soon start moving, stay on the pavement. If you have already started to cross, you will have time to finish crossing.
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If it is a staggered crossing
There will be another signal on the traffic island. Stop and press the signal button to
get the 'Green Man' again before crossing the second part of the road.
Puffin Crossings
A puffin crossing is similar to a pelican crossing, but it has the 'red/green man' signals on the near side rather than the other side of the road. This encourages pedestrians to look at the approaching traffic.
It uses infra-red detection to identify when a person is waiting and also to extend the green man period for people who cannot cross as quickly as others.
If someone presses the button and then walks away, the system detects this and reverts priority to traffic so as not to cause undue delays.
How to use a Puffin Crossing
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At the crossing , stop at the kerb
Press the button and wait for the 'green man' signal to light up. The infra-red detection will pick you up and by pressing the button will register a demand.
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Do not start to cross if the Red Man is showing
When the 'Green Man' shows and you are sure that the traffic is stopping, go straight across, looking and listening. If the crossing is staggered treat each half as a separate crossing.
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The signals will stay red for drivers
Until you get safely across, keep looking all around and listening in case a driver doesn't stop
Toucan Crossing
The Toucan Crossing is a shared signal controlled crossing to assist both pedestrians and cyclists to cross the road.
Pedestrians can use the crossing at the same time as cyclists riding their bikes.
Crossing time is monitored by detectors and varies to ensure time is given for both pedestrians and cyclists to cross, before allowing traffic to move.
How to use a Toucan Crossing
When you see the red man and cycle signal you must not cross as traffic is being given a green light. Press the button on the box and wait for the green man and green cycle to appear.
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Do not start to cross if the Red Man is showing
When the green signal for pedestrians and cyclists appears the traffic will be given a red light. Check the traffic has stopped then cross, keep looking all around and listening in case a driver has not seen the crossing and does not stop.
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When the Green Man and Green Cycle lights go out
If you have already started to cross, and the green man and cycle signal go out, keep going, as you will have enough time to complete your crossing before the traffic starts to move
For all crossings
Tactile Cone
To assist blind or partially sighted pedestrians a tactile cone is fitted underneath the push button box. This rotates when the green man is illuminated letting the pedestrian know when to start crossing.
Tactile Paving
Tactile paving is installed at all controlled pedestrian crossings and is red in colour. The knobbly surface lets people who are blind or who have partial sight locate the crossing and tells them where the carriageway edge is at the dropped kerb.