Over 80 per cent of Brits can’t name these road crossings – and 60 pedestrians are KILLED every year when using them
Do you know the difference between a zebra, pelican, puffin and toucan crossing? Knowing could save your life
BRITS could be risking their lives by not being able to identify the different types of road crossings - and how they work.
Last year 61 people died in an accident when using them, with a further 60 deaths logged by the DfT (Department for Transport) in 2016.
A third of pedestrians have had a near miss with a car at a crossing, and 10 people were injured every day in 2017 on average.
Over the last five years, Admiral - that compiled the new data - has dealt with almost 6,000 claims from pedestrians who have been hit by a driver the company insures.
It also found that 79 per cent of Brits can't identify a pelican crossing - with over half of crossing deaths taking place at one last year.
Shockingly, a quarter of pedestrians failed to correctly name a zebra crossing too.
Meanwhile, almost all Brits can't identify a toucan crossing, with a whopping 92 per cent clueless in the study.
A further 85 per cent are unable to tell the difference between a puffin and a toucan crossing.
Each crossing is detailed below:
- Zebra: The black and white block crossing has no traffic lights, but the Highway Code says motorists must stop for pedestrians that are waiting.
- Pelican: A button operates these crossings. Pedestrians must wait for the green man before crossing, however, they should not cross if the green man light starts to flash.
- Puffin: These are similar to pelicans, except the lights do not flash to signal an end to safe crossing. Instead there are sensors that detect when pedestrians have cleared the crossing - you must still press the button before crossing.
- Toucan: Cyclists and pedestrians have separate pathways at these crossings.
- Pegasus: There's also a fifth type of crossing specifically for horse and riders, as the name suggests.
One in four drivers have had a near accident with a pedestrian, with a third of them saying they simply didn't see them crossing and 13 per cent admitting they were distracted by their phone.
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Sabine Williams, Admiral Head of Motors, said: "Having any sort of accident can be a frightening experience, but where a pedestrian is involved the implications can be devastating.
"What's worrying about these findings is how little both drivers and pedestrians understand about the designated crossings and what the rules are for safely using them.
"More needs to be done to make sure all road users know what their responsibilities are when it comes to crossing so we can see a reduction in the number of accidents taking place.
"In a media-led society we're also urging pedestrians as well as drivers to stay vigilant in and around the road and avoid life altering distractions. No text message or tweet is more important that remembering the green cross code."