Age
Age
Key Stage 2
Key Stage 3
7-11 11-14
HOME-LINK SHEET
Careful crossing
Dear Parent or Carer,
Your child is currently learning about road safety at school as part of a national campaign to reduce the number of
road casualties.
It is important that we do not discourage children from walking or playing outside, but they need to learn the skills
to stay safer.
This Home-link Sheet contains ideas for simple activities that you can do with your child. Learning together this
way helps you to know what your child is being taught and reinforces the key safety messages that he or she is
learning in class.
Careful crossing
This is all about crossing the road safely. The activities below will help your child to learn:
•how to use the Green Cross Code
•about safer road crossings in the local area.
Don’t forget that the best way to help your child to stay safer near traffic is to set a good example yourself,
especially with crossing the road. Reinforce what your child has learnt in the classroom and practise the Green
Cross Code with them every time you cross the road together.
Homework activities
1If you have internet access, watch the short road safety film called Yasmin’s story (http://bit.ly/120XrsE).
Talk about this video with your child, including:
•What happened to Yasmin?
•What caused the collision?
•The consequences of the collision
Ref: TRC105
•How it could have been avoided
Age
Age
Key Stage 2
Key Stage 3
7-11 11-14
2Have a go at the Green Cross Code Challenge Quiz on the next page. This is a short parent v child quiz
(5 questions each) about the Green Cross Code. The Code is written below for you both to refresh
your memories!
The Green Cross Code
1First find the safest place to cross
•If possible, cross the road at: subways, footbridges, traffic islands, zebra, pelican, toucan or puffin crossings,
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, and where drivers can see you.
•Try to avoid crossing between parked cars and on sharp bends or close to the top of a hill. Move to a space
where drivers and riders can see you clearly.
•There should be space to reach the pavement on the other side.
2Stop just before you get to the kerb
•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.
•Give yourself lots of time to have a good look all around.
3Look all around for traffic and listen
•Look all around for traffic and listen.
•Look in every direction.
•Listen carefully because you can sometimes hear traffic before you can see it.
4If 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.
5When 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 cross diagonally.
Age
Age
Key Stage 2
Key Stage 3
7-11 11-14
The Green Cross Code Challenge Quiz!
This is a parent v child quiz about the Green Cross Code. Before you take the quiz, make sure you read the Green
Cross Code together carefully. The best way to learn is by practising, so if you can, take your child out and follow
the code, explaining what you’re doing as you go.
As you do the quiz you can talk about the answers and why they are there. Let your child ask your questions first:
Questions for parents/carers
1. What is missing from this list of safer crossing places: subways, footbridges, zebra crossings,
puffin crossings, pelican crossings, traffic light crossings, school crossing patrol, or where there is a policeman?
[Answer: traffic islands]
2. Complete the second part of the Green Cross Code: ‘Stop just before you get to the _____’
[Answer: kerb]
3. What do you do if traffic is coming?
[Answer: let it pass]
4. What should you do while you cross the road?
[Answer: keep looking and listening]
5. True or false? ‘Do not cross diagonally’ is part of the code?
[Answer: true]
Questions for children
1. Complete part 1 of the Green Cross Code: ‘First find the safest ______’
[Answer: place to cross]
2. Name three places you should avoid crossing the road?
[Answer: sharp bends, just before the top of a hill or near parked cars (unless there is nowhere else to cross).
Children shouldn’t cross any busy road unless it is at a crossing.]
3. What should you do after you have looked all around for traffic and listened?
[Answer: If traffic is coming, let it pass]
4. True or false? ‘Choose a place where you can see clearly in all directions’ is part of the code?
[Answer: True]
5. Other than your parents/carer or teacher, a police officer can help you to cross the road.
Who are the other two adults who might do this?
[Answer: school crossing patrol and traffic warden].