Rules for Pedestrian

Reference: 🔗 Gov.uk - Rules for Pedestrians

Rule 1: Use Pavements & Stay Aware

  1. Use pavements and footways if provided.
  2. Walk facing traffic if no pavement is available.
  3. Avoid distractions and stay aware of your surroundings.
  4. Be considerate to others.

Rule 2: Walk Facing Traffic

  1. If no pavement, walk on the right-hand side to see oncoming traffic.
  2. Walk in single file on narrow roads or in poor light.
  3. Stay close to the side of the road.
  4. Cross early before a sharp right-hand bend for better visibility, then cross back.

Rule 3: Be Seen, Stay Safe

  1. Wear bright or fluorescent clothing in poor daylight.
  2. At night, use reflective materials (e.g., armbands, jackets, footwear).
  3. Reflective clothing makes you visible from three times further than non-reflective materials.
    Highway Code Rule 3

Rule 4: Protect Young Children

  1. Young children should not be alone on pavements or roads.
  2. Always hold their hand and walk between them and traffic.
  3. Use pushchair straps or reins for very young children.
  4. Never push a buggy into the road before checking for traffic.

Rule 5: Large Group Walks & Parades

  1. Use pavements if available; if not, walk on the left.
  2. Position look-outs at the front and back, wearing fluorescent (day) and reflective (night) clothing.
  3. At night:
    • Front look-out → White light
    • Back look-out → Red light
  4. People at the edges should also carry lights and wear reflective clothing.

Rule 6: No Pedestrians on Motorways

  1. Pedestrians MUST NOT walk on motorways or slip roads unless in an emergency.

Rule 7: The Green Cross Code

  1. Find a safe place to cross where there is a crossing like a subway, footbridge, or zebra crossing.
  2. Avoid crossing between parked cars, on blind bends, or near the top of a hill.
  3. Stop before the kerb to ensure you can see traffic clearly.
  4. Look all around and listen carefully for approaching traffic.
  5. Wait for a safe gap in traffic and only cross when there’s plenty of time.
  6. Go straight across the road—do not run and keep looking and listening for traffic.

Highway Code Rule 7

Rule 8: At a Junction

  1. Pedestrians have priority if they’ve started crossing and traffic should give way.
  2. Be aware of traffic turning into the road, especially from behind.
  3. Cross where you can be seen to help drivers notice you.

Rule 9: Pedestrian Safety Barriers

  1. Use gaps in pedestrian safety barriers to cross the road.
  2. Do not climb over barriers or walk between them and the road.

Rule 10: Tactile Paving

  1. Raised surfaces (such as studs or bars) help guide visually impaired pedestrians.
  2. Tactile paving is commonly found at crossing points with dropped kerbs.

Rule 11: One-Way Streets

  1. Check which way traffic is moving on one-way streets before crossing.
  2. Be cautious when crossing bus or cycle lanes as traffic may move faster or against the flow.

Rule 12: Bus and Cycle Lanes

  1. Take care when crossing bus or cycle lanes as traffic in these lanes may move faster.
  2. Check for vehicles in bus or cycle lanes that might be coming from the opposite direction.

Rule 13: Routes Shared with Cyclists

  1. Respect cyclists when crossing routes shared with them, as they may be traveling fast.
  2. Always stay aware of your surroundings to avoid obstructing cyclists.

Rule 14: Parked Vehicles

  1. Cross between parked vehicles using the outside edges, like a kerb.
  2. Ensure you can see all around and that traffic can see you before crossing.
  3. Never cross in front of or behind a vehicle with its engine running, especially large vehicles.

Rule 15: Reversing Vehicles

  1. Never cross behind a reversing vehicle that is showing white reversing lights or sounding a warning.

Rule 16: Moving Vehicles

  1. You must not get onto or hold onto a moving vehicle.

Rule 17: At Night

  1. Wear reflective clothing to make yourself visible to drivers.
  2. Cross near street lights if no pedestrian crossing is nearby, so traffic can see you more easily.

Rule 18: Types of crossings

  1. Use crossings such as zebra, pelican, puffin, toucan, or equestrian crossings whenever possible.
  2. Follow the specific rules for each type of crossing.

Rule 19: Zebra crossings

  1. Vehicles must give way when you are at the crossing.
  2. Ensure all vehicles have stopped before stepping onto the crossing.

Rule 20: Pedestrian-controlled crossings (pelican and puffin)

  1. Press the button and wait for the green pedestrian signal before crossing.
  2. Do not start crossing if the signal begins flashing.

Rule 21: Toucan crossings

  1. Shared with cyclists—pedestrians and cyclists can cross together.
  2. Look out for both cyclists and vehicles before crossing.

Rule 22: Equestrian crossings

  1. Designed for horse riders, with wider crossings and higher control panels.
  2. Follow signals provided specifically for equestrian users.

Rule 23: Islands

  1. At a traffic island, treat each side of the road as a separate crossing.
  2. Wait until traffic has stopped before proceeding to the next section.

Rule 24: Tactile paving

  1. Textured surfaces assist visually impaired pedestrians.
  2. Found at crossings and stairs.

Rule 25: Crossings near schools

  1. Be cautious near schools.
  2. Follow instructions of school patrol officers or signs.

Rule 26: Trams and crossings

  1. Trams may have their own signals; be alert to their movement.
  2. Do not walk along tram tracks or obstruct tram crossings.

Rule 27: Railway level crossings

  1. Never cross when warning lights are flashing or barriers are down.
  2. Obey audible warnings or instructions from crossing attendants.

Rule 28: Emergency services

  1. Allow emergency vehicles to pass before stepping onto a crossing.
  2. Be extra vigilant near crossings with heavy emergency traffic.

Rule 29: Multi-lane crossings

  1. Check for traffic in all lanes before stepping onto the crossing.
  2. Ensure traffic in each lane has stopped before crossing.

Rule 30: Avoiding unnecessary risks

  1. Do not take unnecessary risks by crossing outside designated areas.
  2. Always use a crossing where available for safety.

Rule 31: Children and young people

  1. Always be extra cautious when children or young people are around.
  2. They may not understand traffic risks or act unpredictably.

Rule 32: Elderly pedestrians

  1. Be aware of the needs of elderly pedestrians who may walk slower or have difficulty seeing or hearing.
  2. Give way to elderly pedestrians where necessary.

Rule 33: Disabled pedestrians

  1. Offer assistance to disabled pedestrians when crossing the road.
  2. Be extra careful around those using mobility aids or wheelchairs.

Rule 34: Crossings and heavy traffic

  1. Be extra cautious when crossing in areas with heavy traffic.
  2. Ensure that vehicles have fully stopped before crossing, especially in multi-lane traffic.

Rule 35: Animals and pets

  1. Take extra care when walking near animals, especially dogs.
  2. Ensure your dog is on a lead when near roads, and avoid crossing in uncontrolled areas.