Crossing roads
The Department of Transport and Main Roads and local governments provide many facilities to manage traffic and help pedestrians cross roads.
Below are pictures of the most common pedestrian facilities and information about how to use them correctly. It is important to remember that you must always use a pedestrian facility to cross a road if there is one provided. If there is no facility within 20 metres, cross by the shortest and safest route.
Pedestrian crossings
To use a pedestrian crossing:
- Stand at the edge of the crossing and wait for the traffic to stop.
- Cross when the traffic has come to a complete stop.
- If there is more than one lane to cross, be sure that all approaching traffic has seen you.
- Traffic must give way to you once you have a foot on the crossing.
Children's crossings operate only when the red 'children crossing' flags are displayed. They are designed to help children cross the road safely near schools. To use a children's crossing:
- Wait on one side of the road for the supervisor to walk out on to the crossing with a red stop sign.
- Cross once the traffic has stopped at the white stop lines on the road and the crossing supervisor has blown a whistle.
Mid-block signalised crossings and intersections
To use these crossings:
- Look for the guidance stickers on the traffic signal pole above the push button.
- Push the pedestrian button on the traffic signal pole to register that you wish to cross the road.
- Wait for the lights to change – do not cross if there is a stationary red figure.
- Cross the road when a green walking figure appears.
- Complete your crossing when the lights change to a flashing red figure.
- Do not begin crossing on a red flashing signal; you must wait for the next green signal.
Remember to be aware of the traffic around you and make sure vehicles have stopped before you cross the road.
Some pedestrian push buttons are audio tactile, which means they make a noise when it is safe for you to cross the road. These buttons are much larger than the usual pedestrian push button and they make a slow beeping sound. The beeping sound changes to a faster beeping sound when it is safe to cross the road. They are designed to assist pedestrians with impaired vision to use crossings safely. Because the buttons vibrate, they also assist pedestrians with impaired hearing.
Pedestrian refuges, traffic islands and medians
Pedestrian refuges, traffic islands and medians allow you to concentrate on and cross one direction of traffic flow at a time. A pedestrian crossing a road to a pedestrian refuge must give way to traffic on the road before crssing. To use a pedestrian refuge:
- wait for a safe break in the traffic
- move directly to the refuge
- wait for a safe break in traffic
- move directly to the other side of the road.
