Rules for pedestrians

Question 1

What are the 4 rules about pavements for pedestrians?

Answer 1

Should be used if provided

Where possible, avoid being next to the kerb with your back to the traffic

If you have to step out into the road, look both ways first

Always show due care to others

Question 2

Where should pedestrians walk if there is no pavement?

Answer 2

Keep to the right hand side of the road so you can see oncoming traffic

Question 3

What other 2 things should pedestrians do if there is no pavement?

Answer 3

Be prepared to walk in single file, especially on narrow roads or in poor light

Keep close to the side of the road

Question 4

What should pedestrians do at a sharp right hand bend if there is no pavement?

Answer 4

It may be safer to cross the road well before the sharp right hand bend so that oncoming traffic has a better chance of seeing you. Cross back after the bend

Question 5

What 2 things can pedestrians do to help other pedestrians see them?

Answer 5

Wear or carry something light coloured, bright or fluorescent in poor daylight conditions

When it is dark, use reflective materials which can be seen by drivers using headlights up to 3 times as far away as non-reflective materials

Question 6

What should young children not be doing on pavements?

Answer 6

Should not be out alone on the pavement and road

Question 7

What 3 things should adults do when taking children out?

Answer 7

Keep between them and the traffic and hold their hands firmly

Strap very young children into push chairs or use reins

When pushing a young child in a buggy, don’t push the buggy into the road earn checking to see if its clear to cross, particularly from between parked vehicles

Question 8

What 5 things should pedestrians on organised walks do?

Answer 8

Large groups of people walking together should used a pavement if available

If a pavement isn’t available then they should keep to the left

Lookouts should be positioned at the front and back of the group and they should wear fluorescent clothes in daylight and reflective clothes in the dark

At night the look out in front should show a white light and the one at the back a red light

People on the outside of large groups should also carry lights and wear reflective clothing

Question 9

What should pedestrians on motorways do?

Answer 9

Pedestrians MUST NOT be on motorways or slip roads except in an emergency

Question 10

What is the first thing a pedestrian should do when crossing a road?

Answer 10

Find a safe place to cross

Question 11

What 7 things should a pedestrian do when finding a safe place to cross?

Answer 11

Find a safe place 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, on a blind bend, or close to the brow of a hi;;

Move to space where drivers and riders can see you clearly

Do not cross the road diagonally

Question 12

What is the second thing pedestrians should do when crossing a road?

Answer 12

Stop just before you get to the kerb

Question 13

What 3 things should pedestrians do when stopping just before the kerb?

Answer 13

Stop where you can see if anything is coming

Do not get too close to the traffic

If there’s no pavement, keep back from the edge of the road but make sure you can still see approaching traffic

Question 14

What is the third thing pedestrians should do when crossing a road?

Answer 14

Look all around for traffic and listen

Question 15

What should pedestrians do when looking all around for traffic and listen?

Answer 15

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

Question 16

What is the fourth thing pedestrians should do when crossing a road?

Answer 16

If traffic is coming, let it pass

Question 17

What 3 things should pedestrians do when letting oncoming traffic pass?

Answer 17

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 the traffic is a long way off, it may be approaching very quickly

Question 18

What is the final thing a pedestrian should do when crossing the road?

Answer 18

When it is safe, go straight across the road - don’t run

Question 19

What 3 things should pedestrians do in the final stage of crossing the road?

Answer 19

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

Question 20

What should pedestrians do when crossing at a junction?

Answer 20

When crossing the road, look out for traffic turning into the road, especially from behind you

If you have started crossing and traffic wants to turn into the road, you have priority and they should give way

Question 21

What should pedestrians do at Pedestrian Safety Barriers?

Answer 21

Where there are barriers, cross the road only at the gaps provided for pedestrians

Don’t climb over the barriers or walk between them and the road

Question 22

What is tactile paving and how can it help pedestrians?

Answer 22

Raised surfaces that can be felt underfoot provide warning and guidance to blind or partially sighted people

The most common surfaces are a series of raised studs, which are used at crossing points with a dropped kerb

Or a series of rounded raised bars which are used at level crossings, at the top and bottom of steps and at some other hazards

Question 23

What should pedestrians do when crossing the road on one way streets?

Answer 23

Check which way the traffic is moving

Do not cross until it is safe to do so without stopping

Bus and cycle lanes may operate in the opposite direction to the rest of the traffic

Question 24

What should pedestrians do when crossing over bus and cycle lanes?

Answer 24

Take care when crossing these lanes as traffic may be moving faster than in the other lanes, or against the flow of traffic

Question 25

What 5 things should pedestrians know about routes shared with cyclists?

Answer 25

Some cycle tracks run alongside footpaths or pavements, using a segregating feature to separate cyclists from people on foot

Segregated routes may also incorporate short lengths of tactile paving to help visually impaired people stay on the correct side

On the pedestrian side this will comprise a series of flat topped bars running across the direction of travel (ladder pattern)

On the cyclist side the same bars are orientated in the direction of travel (tramline pattern)

Not all routes which are shared with cyclists are segregated so take extra care where this is so

Question 26

What should pedestrians do when crossing between parked vehicles?

Answer 26

If you have to cross between parked vehicles, use the outside edges of the vehicles as if they were kerb. Stop there and make sure you can see all around and that the traffic can see you

Make sure there is a gap between any parked vehicles on the other side, so you can reach the pavement

Never cross the road in front of, or behind, any vehicle with its engine running, especially a large vehicle, as the driver may not be able to see you

Question 27

What should pedestrians do when crossing behind reversing vehicles?

Answer 27

Never cross behind a vehicle which is reversing, showing white reversing lights or sounding a warning

Question 28

What should pedestrians do in regards to moving vehicles?

Answer 28

Pedestrians MUST NOT get onto or hold onto a moving vehicle

Question 29

What should pedestrians do when crossing roads at night?

Answer 29

Wear something reflective to make it easier for others to see you

If there is no pedestrian crossing nearby, cross the road near a street light so that traffic can see you more easily

Question 30

What should pedestrians do at all crossings?

Answer 30

Always check that the traffic has stopped before you start to cross or push a pram onto a crossing

Always cross between the studs or over the zebra markings. Do not cross at the side of the crossing or on the zig zag lines, as it can be dangerous

Must not loiter on any type of crossing

Question 31

What do zebra crossings have?

Answer 31

Flashing beacons

Question 32

What are the rules for pedestrians on zebra crossings?

Answer 32

Give traffic plenty of time to see you and to stop before you start to cross

Vehicles will need more time when the road is slippery

Wait until traffic has stopped from both directions or the road is clear before crossings

Remember that traffic does not have to stop until someone has moved onto the crossing

Keep looking both ways, and listening, in case a driver or rider has not seen you and attempts to overtake a vehicle that has stopped

Question 33

What should pedestrians do when there is an island in the middle of the zebra crossing?

Answer 33

Wait on the island and follow the rules of a normal zebra crossing as it is a separate crossing

Question 34

What are the 6 rules for pedestrians at traffic lights?

Answer 34

May be special signs for pedestrians

Should only start to cross the road when the green figure shows

If you have started to cross the road and the green figure goes out, you should still have time to reach the other side, but do not delay

If no pedestrian signals have been provided, watch carefully and do not cross until the traffic lights are red and the traffic has stopped

Keep looking and check for traffic that may be turning the corner

Remember that traffic lights may let traffic move in some lanes while traffic in other lanes has stopped

Question 35

What are pelican crossings?

Answer 35

Signal controlled crossings operated by pedestrians

Question 36

What are the rules for pedestrians at pelican crossings?

Answer 36

Push the control button to activate the traffic signals

When the red figure shows, don’t cross

When a steady green figure shows, check the traffic has stopped then cross with care

When the green figure begins to flash you shouldn’t start to cross

If you have already started you should have time to finish crossing safely

Question 37

How are puffin crossings different from pelican crossings?

Answer 37

The red and green figures are above the control box on your side of the road and there is no flashing green figure phase

Question 38

What should pedestrians do at puffin crossings?

Answer 38

Press the button and wait for the signal to cross

Question 39

What should pedestrians do at puffin crossings when the road is congested?

Answer 39

When the road is congested, traffic on your side of the road may be forced to stop even though their lights are green. Traffic may still be moving on the other side of the road, so press the button and wait for the signal to cross

Question 40

What are toucan crossings?

Answer 40

Are light controlled crossings which allow cyclists and pedestrians to share crossings space and cross at the same time

They are push button operated

Pedestrians and cyclists will see the green signal together. Cyclists are permitted to ride across

Question 41

What do some toucan crossings have?

Answer 41

At some toucan crossings there is a bleeping sound or voice signal to indicate to blind or partially sighted people when the steady green figure is showing, and there may be a tactile signal to help deaf blind people

Question 42

What are equestrian crossings?

Answer 42

They are for horse riders. They have pavement barriers, wider crossing spaces, horse and rider figures in the light panels and either two sets of controls (one higher), or just one higher control panel

Question 43

What are ‘staggered’ pelican or puffin crossings?

Answer 43

When the crossings on each side of the central refuge are not in line they are 2 separate crossings

On reaching the central island, press the button again and wait for a steady green figure

Question 44

What should pedestrians do at crossings controlled by an authorised person?

Answer 44

Don’t cross the road unless you are signalled to do so by a police officer, a traffic warden or school crossing patrol. Always cross in front of them

Question 45

What should pedestrians do when there are no controlled crossing points?

Answer 45

Where there are no controlled crossing points available it is advisable to cross where there is an island in the middle of the road. Use the Green Cross Code to cross to the island and then stop and use it again to cross the second half of the road

Question 46

What should pedestrians do with emergency vehicles?

Answer 46

If an ambulance, fire engine, police or other emergency vehicle approaches using flashing blue lights, headlights and/or sirens, keep off the road

Question 47

What should pedestrians do with buses?

Answer 47

Get on or off a bus when it has stopped to allow you to do so
Watch out for cyclists when you are getting off
Never cross the road directly or behind or in front of a bus
Wait until it has moved off and you can see clearly in both directions

Question 48

What should pedestrians do with tramways?

Answer 48

These may run through pedestrian areas
Their path will be marked out by shallow kerbs, changes in the paving or other road surface, white lines or yellow dots
Cross at designated crossings where provided
Elsewhere treat trams as you would other vehicles and look both ways along the track before crossing
Do not walk along the track as trams may come up behind you
Trams move quietly and cannot steer to avoid you

Question 49

What should pedestrians do at railway level crossings?

Answer 49

You MUST NOT cross or pass a stop line when the red lights show, (including a red pedestrian figure)

Do not cross if an alarm is sounding or the barriers are being lowered

The tone of the alarm may change if another train is approaching

If there are no lights, alarms or barriers, stop, look both ways and listen before crossing

A tactile surface comprising rounded bars running across the direction of pedestrian travel may be installed on the footpath approaching a level crossing to warn visually impaired people of its presence

The tactile surface should extend across the full width of the footway and should be located at an appropriate distance from the barrier to projected line of the barrier

Question 50

What should pedestrians do with street and pavement repairs?

Answer 50

A pavement may be closed temporarily because it is not safe to use. Take extra care if you are directed to walk in or to cross the road