Crossing safely

The traffic police's letter in your book, Santoor (Chapter 3), tells us how to cross a road safely. Here are the steps, in this order.

Step 1: go to the zebra crossing. Step 2: stop, and look right, then left, then right again. Step 3: if there are traffic lights, wait for the pedestrian signal to turn green. Step 4: cross only when it is safe, and walk calmly; never run. Hold an adult's hand while you cross.

Why look right first? In India, vehicles drive on the left side of the road, so the traffic nearest to you comes from your right.

On page 30 your book sorts some actions into safe and unsafe. Looking right and left before crossing, crossing at a zebra crossing and walking on the footpath are SAFE. Playing on the road and listening to loud music on the road are UNSAFE.

Wearing dark clothes in the evening is not safe either: dark clothes make you harder for drivers to see. That is why the letter asks for reflective stickers in the dark.