Green Cross Code

The steps you need to follow to cross the road safely

1. First find a safe place to cross

First find a safe place to cross and where there is space to reach the pavement on the other side.

Where there is a crossing nearby, use it. It is safer to cross using a subway, a footbridge, an island, a zebra, pelican, toucan or puffin crossing, or where there is a crossing point controlled by a police officer, a school crossing patrol or a traffic warden.

Otherwise choose a place where you can see clearly in all directions.

Try to avoid crossing between parked cars and on a blind bend or close to the brow of a hill. Move to a space where drivers and riders can see you clearly.

2. Stop just before you get to the kerb

Stop just before you get to the kerb where you can see if anything is coming and where drivers can see you. Do not get too close to the traffic. If there is no pavement, keep back from the edge of the road but make sure you can still see approaching traffic.

3. Look all around for traffic and listen

Traffic could come from any direction. Listen as well, because you can sometimes hear traffic before you see it.

4. If traffic is coming, let it pass

Look all around again and listen. Do not cross until there is a safe gap in the traffic and you are certain that there is plenty of time.

Remember, even if traffic is a long way off, it may be approaching very quickly.

5. When it is safe, go straight across the road – do not run

Keep looking and listening for traffic while you cross, in case there is any traffic you did not see, or in case other traffic appears suddenly. Look out for cyclists and motorcyclists travelling between lanes of traffic. Do not walk diagonally across the road.

Think you know all there is to know about road safety? Try our 'Snakes and Hazards' quiz.

Download 'Tales of the Road' - 722.06 KB A fun and informative highway code for young road users.

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