Adventist Adventurer Awards and Answers/Road Safety

Zebra Crossing
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. Remember that traffic does not have to stop until someone has moved onto the crossing. Wait until the traffic has stopped from both directions or the road is clear before 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.

At Traffic Lights
There may be special signals for pedestrians. You 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.

Pelican Crossings
These are signal-controlled crossings operated by pedestrians. Push the control button to activate the traffic signals. When the red figure shows, do not cross. When a steady green figure shows, check that the traffic has stopped then cross with care. When the green figure begins to flash you should not cross. If you have already started you should have time to finish crossing safely. At some pelican crossings there is a bleeping sound 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. 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.

Puffin and Toucan crossings
These differ from pelican crossings as there is no flashing green figure phase. On puffin crossings the red and green figures are above the control box on your side of the road. Press the button and wait for the green figure to show. On toucan crossings cyclists are permitted to ride across the road.

Staggered Pelican or Puffin Crossings
When the crossings on each side of the central refuge are not in line they are two separate crossings. On reaching the central island press the button again and wait for a steady green figure

Crossings Controlled by an Authorised Person
Do not cross the road unless you are signalled to do so by a police officer, traffic warden or school crossing patrol. Always cross in front of them.

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.

Walking along the road by yourself.
Download a free pdf copy of "A Kid’s Guide to Safe Walking" from NHTSA Kids


 * 1) Always walk on the sidewalk. Walk on the sidewalk if there is one.
 * 2) If no sidewalk, walk facing traffic. If there is no sidewalk and you have to walk on the road, be sure to walk facing traffic.
 * 3) Be safe. Be seen. Brightly colored clothing makes it easier for drivers to see you during the daytime. But at night, you need to have a flashlight or wear special reflective material on your shoes, cap, and jacket or on your arms or legs that bounce the car’s lights off you and back to the driver. This light should caution the driver that there is something or someone moving and they should slow down and be careful.

Riding your bicycle.
Download a free copy of "Rules of the Road for Riding Safely" from NHTSA Kids


 * 1) Ride in a straight line, single file.
 * 2) Go with the traffic flow. Ride on the right in the same direction as cars.
 * 3) Obey all traffic signs and signals.
 * 4) Ride with both hands on the handlebars except when signaling a turn or stop.
 * 5) Stop and look left-right-left for traffic before entering a street.
 * 6) Walk your bike across an intersection.
 * 7) Stay alert – use your eyes to look for things that could make you fall, like potholes, cracks, pebbles, or wet leaves.
 * 8) Stay alert – use your ears to listen for traffic. Don’t wear earphones while riding.
 * 9) Watch for parked cars and cars pulling out or into parking spaces or driveways.
 * 10) Check your equipment. Make sure your bike tires are properly inflated and that the brakes work.
 * 11) Don’t forget your bicycle helmet. Wear it flat on your head and buckled!

Riding a horse

 * 1) Never ride alone. Ride with someone you know to be experienced and thoughtful.
 * 2) Wait until all riders are mounted to move off.
 * 3) If you could be returning after dark, wear reflective clothing and take a small flash light.
 * 4) Keep at least one horse length between you and the horse in front.
 * 5) Do not pass the trail boss.
 * 6) When riding during hunting season, make lots of noise and wear visible clothing such as a fluorescent vest. Using rhythm beads on your horse is a good way to alert hunters that you are NOT a deer.
 * 7) Do not leave the trail. Holes and unsafe surfaces, sharp objects and hornets nests may exist in unknown areas such as open fields.

Walking with a group

 * 1) Find a safe place to cross, then stop
 * 2) Stand on the pavement near the kerb
 * 3) Look all around for traffic and listen
 * 4) If traffic is coming, let it pass – look all around again
 * 5) When there is no traffic near, walk straight across the road
 * 6) Keep looking and listening for traffic while you cross.

Explain why you should wear a seatbelt when riding in a car.
40,000 people die each year in car accidents, the leading cause of death for people under the age of 35. Safety belts can prevent death in about half of these accidents. If you know this and are still not wearing a safety belt, you may need to ask yourself why not. But first, let's look at what happens when a car crashes.

The Human Collision

Imagine running as fast as you can - into a wall. You'd expect to get pretty banged up. Do you think you could stop yourself if the wall suddenly loomed up when you were two feet away from it? This is exactly the situation you face when the front of your car hits something at only 15 miles an hour. The car stops in the first tenth of a second, but you keep on at the same rate you were going in the car until something stops you - the steering wheel, dashboard or windshield - if you're not wearing your safety belt.. Bad enough at 15 miles an hour, but a 30 miles you hit "the wall" four times as hard as you would at 15. Or to put it another way, with the same impact you'd feel as if you fell three stories. A properly worn safety belt keeps that second collision - the human collision - from happening.

McGruff the Crime Dog
Contact your local Sheriff's Department to schedule a visit from McGruff the Crime Dog. He and his partner are excellent options for this requirement as the children really get a kick out of McGruff.

Play a safety game.
Mark a road system on the grass with marking paint. Example: Outer circle is a one-way expressway with one exit and an on ramp to connect it to the rest of the road system. Inner circle is a country road with a railroad crossing. An east-west city road cuts through the diameter of the circle including a 3-way stop at the center of the circle. A north-south city road with a school zone is as long as the radius of the inner circle. Road signs include speed limits (25, 45, 55, and 70 mph), stop, yield, RR crossing, merge, exit, school zone, crosswalk (stop and walk). Players can run at top speed on the expressway, walk in the city, but must crawl in the school zone. Players are free to take on any role (driver, pedestrian, crosswalk guard, train, tow truck, police, ambulance, etc.) as long as they follow the road rules posted and help their fellow players to do so also. Tour through the road system to learn the road signs and rules, then play!

External Resources
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Traffic Safety Rules

Safeny Kids Traffic Safety Page

Positively Riding Horse Riding Safety

Road Safety Pedestrian and Rider Safety