Road Safety - Pedestrian Crossings

Question: Road Safety - Pedestrian Crossings

Answer: Thank you for writing with your concerns. Let me assure you, you will be safe crossing the road in London. We have lots of traffic lights to control the traffic and most have a pedestrian light system for people waiting so when you see the green man it's safe to cross. The key thing is to cross at a crossing and not randomly even though jaywalking is not a crime in London. Cross either at traffic lights or look for a zebra crossing which is black and white stripes on the road (see the one in the picture). Wait and traffic has to stop for you.

Regarding how long you get to cross the road in London, I can assure you there's enough time as I cross with my daughter in her buggy every day and never have to rush, especially in central London where the timing has been set for crowds to get across safely.

Another top tip is to look on the road at crossing to see which way the traffic is coming from. Look Right and Look Left are painted at all major junctions. It is easy to get disorientated so these instructions are actually really useful.

In all honestly, traffic goes pretty slowly in central London so you won't need to worry. Follow everyone else and you'll be fine.

You can find out more about Road Safety in London and the UK from the Transport for London website where, along with Zebra crossings, you can learn about Pelican crossings, Puffin crossings, and Toucan crossings!