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Crossings - Learner Driver Tips [EBOOK] Ch 8
April 30, 2019 at 11:18 AM
In Chapter 8, read up on crossings, from pedestrian and school crossings to level crossings.
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8.1 DRIVING THROUGH PEDESTRIAN CROSSINGS
8.2 DRIVING THROUGH SCHOOL CROSSINGS
8.3 LEVEL CROSSINGS – USING SIGNS AND DEVICES ON CROSSINGS
8.1 DRIVING THROUGH PEDESTRIAN CROSSINGS
Pedestrian crossings are designated places for pedestrians to cross the road. They’re sometimes referred to as “Zebra crossings” because of the striped black and white pattern the markings create on 
the road. These crossings are pretty common in areas where there are a lot of people such as around shops, schools and on urban roads.
Tips for driving through a pedestrian crossing
- Identify the crossing early by looking out for warning signs and markings on the road (a white diamond).
- Watch out for pedestrians around the crossing (some may be distracted and not see you coming).
- Slow down as you come up to the crossing and be prepared to stop.
- Give way to anybody on the crossing or anybody who is obviously waiting to cross. Do this by stopping behind the white limit line.
- Do not drive off until the pedestrian has crossed in front of you and is actually clear of your vehicle.
8.2 DRIVING THROUGH SCHOOL CROSSINGS
School crossings usually operate before and after school and can be recognised by the signs that are displayed near them. The crossings also often have two school patrol members who’
ll display a stop sign on each side of traffic whenever drivers are required to stop. The school patrol members will allow the children to cross once the traffic has stopped.
A school crossing that is at an existing pedestrian crossing will revert back to a normal pedestrian crossing during non-patrol hours.
Tips for driving through school crossings:
- Identify the crossings early by looking out for signs.
- Be on high alert when these crossings are operating as they can get very busy.
- Watch out for buses and cars dropping off or picking up children.
- Some crossings are also inside school zones that have speed limits. Stay within the limit.
- Slow down and be ready to stop when approaching a crossing.
- Stop behind the limit line if a school patrol member is extending a stop sign out onto the road and remain stationary until the sign is withdrawn.
- Watch out for kids anywhere around the crossing as they could suddenly run out in front of you.
8.3 LEVEL CROSSINGS – USING SIGNS AND DEVICES ON CROSSINGS
A level crossing is any place where the road and ground-level railway intersect. Railway crossings can have a number of warning devices and signs, these include:
- Stop sign. Bring your car to a complete halt behind the yellow ‘limit line’ (or at least five meters from the track if there isn’t one) when you come across this sign at a level crossing. Check right and left along the track for an oncoming train before proceeding.
- Lights, bells and/or barriers. If the devices are not warning you of an oncoming train (i.e. the barrier arm is up, the bells are not ringing, and the lights are not flashing) slow down and be prepared to stop as you check both sides of the track. If all is clear, then you can proceed.
If the devices are activated (i.e. the barrier arm is down, lights are flashing and bells ringing) you will need to stop and wait until the devices stop before crossing.
Although rare, there are some crossings with no signs or devices – usually on private land. For these make sure you slow your vehicle to a crawl and check both sides of the railway before crossing.
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