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Green Cross Code
Green Cross Code
from Wikipedia

Stop, Look, Listen and Think. Pedestrians crossing Ingram Street, Glasgow

The Green Cross Code is a brand created by the National Road Safety Committee (now the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents, RoSPA) to raise awareness of pedestrian road safety in the United Kingdom. The multimedia Green Cross Code campaign began in 1970 and continues today.

The Green Cross Code replaced the earlier Kerb Drill (below) pedestrian safety campaign; the Kerb Drill's military style ("Halt! Quick march!") was deemed confusing to children by safety authorities.

Tufty Fluffytail

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Tufty Fluffytail badge

Prior to the introduction of the Green Cross campaign, a series of puppet animation public information films, featuring Tufty Fluffytail (narrated by Bernard Cribbins)[a] were in regular broadcast rotation across the UK. Tufty Fluffytail, a childlike red squirrel character, was created in 1953 by Elsie Mills to introduce clear and simple safety messages to children. The success of the character led to the creation in 1961 of the Tufty Club for children under five years of age. Under its auspices more than 30,000 Tufty books about road safety were issued to parents. At its peak there were nearly 25,000 branches of the Tufty Club throughout the UK, and by the early 1970s an estimated two million children were members. The movement continued into the 1980s.[2]

The code

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The Green Cross Code itself is a short step-by-step procedure designed to enable pedestrians to cross UK roads safely. While the Code has undergone several changes over the years, the basic tenets ("Stop, Look, Listen, Think") have remained the same. The 2018 version of the Green Cross Code reads as follows:[3]

  1. THINK! First find the safest place to cross
  2. STOP! Stand on the pavement near the kerb
  3. USE YOUR EYES AND EARS! Look all around for traffic and listen
  4. WAIT UNTIL IT IS SAFE TO CROSS! If traffic is coming, let it pass
  5. LOOK AND LISTEN! When it is safe, go straight across the road – do not run or walk diagonally
  6. ARRIVE ALIVE! Keep looking and listening while you cross

Green Cross Man

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Green Cross Man
Take it from Green Cross Man
First appearance1970

The Green Cross Man is a costumed superhero character created in England in mid-1970 as an aid to teaching children and young people the Green Cross Code, and for promoting general road safety via television adverts. British weight-lifting champion David Prowse (1935–2020), who went on to portray Darth Vader in the film Star Wars (1977), played the character in a series of Public Information Films sponsored by the British Government's Central Office of Information for the Department of the Environment. In one animated film from 1976 however, Peter Hawkins voiced the character. The original adverts were broadcast on British television from 1975 to 1990.

In the adverts, the "Green Cross Man" has the power to teleport from his monitoring station known as "Green Cross Control" to any location where children are in need of pedestrian road safety instruction. He accomplishes this by use of a wristwatch-like "dematerialiser" device. On these missions he is sometimes accompanied by a robot companion known as the Green Cross Droid. His signature exclamation of surprise or disbelief is "Green Crosses!" and his slogan is "I won't be there when YOU cross the road, so always use the Green Cross Code". The first two adverts in the series had Prowse's voice dubbed by another actor due to his pronounced Bristol accent.[4] In the third advert he appeared using his own voice.[5]

In 2014, the Green Cross Man was revived, with Prowse playing the character in his 80th year, in two adverts produced for Road Safety Week in the United Kingdom.[6] The new campaign was targeted at young adults alerting them to the danger of pedestrian accidents caused by distraction from using smartphones, and wearing headphones to listen to music whilst crossing roads.[7]

Other campaigns

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In 1976, actor Jon Pertwee appeared in a PIF for the Green Cross Code introducing the mnemonic "SPLINK", which stood for:[8]

  • (First find a) Safe (place to cross, then stop)
  • (Stand on the) Pavement (near the kerb)
  • Look (all round for traffic and listen)
  • If (traffic is coming, let it pass)
  • (When there is) No (traffic near, walk straight across the road)
  • Keep (looking and listening for traffic while you cross).

The film was later updated to cartoon form, voiced by Derek Griffiths.[9]

In 1983, the television adverts employed a "Green Cross Code" rap based on the hit "The Message" by Grandmaster Flash. The original lyrics of "Don't push me cos I'm close to the edge" were replaced with "Don't step out when you're close to the edge." The advert was re-released for its 10th anniversary in 1993 with slightly different lyrics.

Other UK celebrities who have appeared in "Green Cross Code" PSAs include boxer Joe Bugner, vocalist Les Gray of the band Mud, footballer Kevin Keegan, and singer Alvin Stardust. These adverts used the banner "Be Smart...Be Safe."

Kerb Drill

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Before the Green Cross Code, The Kerb Drill was a procedure for pedestrians to cross streets safely, developed by Jocelyn Arthur Adair Pickard (1885–1962), a former Royal Engineer who became Director-General of RoSPA.[10][11] The Kerb Drill encouraged pedestrians to look before they cross:

At the kerb halt!
Eyes right,
Eyes left,
Eyes right again.
If the road is clear,
Quick march—walk straight across.

The repeated look to the right is to check again for a vehicle in the closest lane. In countries that drive on the right-hand side of the road, "left" and "right" would need to be reversed.

See also

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Notes

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References

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Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia
from Grokipedia
The Green Cross Code is a road safety initiative in the that provides a straightforward, six-step guide for crossing roads safely, primarily targeting children to prevent accidents and promote lifelong habits. Launched in 1970 by the British government through the National Road Safety Committee (now part of the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents, RoSPA), it replaced the earlier Kerb Drill—a military-inspired that was deemed too rigid and confusing for young audiences—and has since become a foundational element of UK road safety education. The code's steps emphasize awareness and caution: Think first to identify a safe place to cross, such as a designated or ; Stop at the kerb without stepping into the road; Look right, left, and right again while listening for approaching traffic, including vehicles, bicycles, and e-scooters; Wait until all traffic has passed; Look and listen again before proceeding straight across; and Arrive alive by continuing to monitor surroundings until reaching the opposite pavement. These guidelines were popularized through public information films featuring the Green Cross Code Man, a caped who "teleported" to assist children, portrayed by actor (known for his role as ) from 1975 to 1990, with the memorable slogan: "I won’t be there when you cross the road, so always use the Green Cross Code." Over the decades, the Green Cross Code has evolved to address modern challenges, such as increased vehicle traffic and distractions like smartphones, with a revival campaign in 2014 during Road Safety Week that extended its messages to adults. It remains integrated into school curricula and government resources, such as those from the Department for Transport's THINK! campaign.

History

Origins and Predecessors

The Kerb Drill emerged as a key pedestrian safety measure in the during , introduced in 1942 by the Ministry of Transport in collaboration with the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA). This military-style procedure was designed to teach children disciplined road-crossing habits amid wartime hazards like blackouts and increased vehicle traffic, drawing on drill commands to instill caution. Its five core steps were: (1) halt at the kerb; (2) look right; (3) look left; (4) look right again; and (5) if clear, quick march across without rushing. The approach was promoted through public information films, school programs, and even board games, reflecting a governmental push for standardized safety training in an era of rising road risks. In the post-war period, child pedestrian safety remained a pressing concern, with road fatalities among children highlighting the limitations of earlier measures. Between 1927 and 1937, over 14,000 children were killed on roads, averaging more than 1,000 deaths annually during . Although numbers declined below 1,000 after 1947, they stayed alarmingly high into the and 1960s, with approximately 500-600 child road deaths reported each year by the mid-1960s, many involving s amid booming and urban expansion. These statistics underscored the need for more effective, age-appropriate education beyond the rigid Kerb Drill, prompting shifts toward engaging, narrative-based methods to better capture young ren's attention. Influential precursors included RoSPA's development of child-friendly initiatives, such as the creation of the Tufty character in 1953 and the launch of the Tufty Club in 1961, which used and puppets to teach road safety to under-fives. Enrolling over 50,000 members in its first year, the club represented a move away from drill-like instruction toward interactive learning. In 1965, the Ministry of Transport established regional road safety committees to coordinate national efforts, emphasizing adaptable, child-centered strategies over outdated military formats. These developments laid the groundwork for the Green Cross Code's introduction in 1970 as a more dynamic replacement.

Launch and Early Development

The Green Cross Code was launched in April 1971 by the National Road Safety Committee, serving as a replacement for the earlier Kerb Drill, which had been criticized for its military-style instructions that confused young children. Developed after 18 months of research involving the Road Research Laboratory, RoSPA, and the Department of Education and Science, the code aimed to provide a simpler, more child-friendly set of guidelines amid rising road traffic casualties. Initial promotion efforts focused on widespread distribution through schools, with materials including films, brochures, certificates, cartoons, wallcharts, and television fillers as part of a £500,000 three-month saturation campaign coordinated by the in 1971. These resources were supplemented by posters and public exhibitions to embed the code in educational programs, emphasizing practical road-crossing behaviors for children under nine who struggled with directional concepts in prior campaigns. In the early 1970s, the code underwent modifications based on feedback from pilot testing funded by the Transport and Road Research Laboratory and the Department of the Environment, including the addition of a "Think" step as the first instruction to better address increasing traffic complexity and encourage . The National Road Safety Committee, responsible for the initiative, was later integrated into the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA), ensuring continued oversight of pedestrian safety education.

The Code

Core Steps

The Green Cross Code consists of six core steps designed to guide s, particularly children, in safely crossing roads by promoting awareness and caution. Introduced in 1970, this sequence simplified safety instructions to make them more accessible and memorable compared to prior methods. The steps emphasize a systematic approach: assessing the location, preparing to observe, checking for hazards, confirming , crossing attentively, and maintaining vigilance throughout. This structure evolved from the earlier Kerb Drill, which featured five more formal, military-style commands (Halt! Eyes right! Eyes left! Eyes right again! Quick march!), deemed less intuitive for young learners.
  1. Find a safe place to cross (Think!): The first step involves selecting an optimal location, such as a designated , a well-lit area with clear , or a spot away from obstacles like parked cars or road bends that could obscure approaching traffic. This initial assessment minimizes risks by ensuring the pedestrian can see and be seen, prioritizing spots where the road ahead is straight and unobstructed.
  2. Stand on the pavement near the kerb (Stop!): Position yourself at of the pavement, one step back from the kerb to avoid stepping into prematurely. This creates a , allowing time to evaluate the situation without encroaching on traffic flow and reducing the chance of accidental contact with vehicles.
  3. Look all around and listen for (Look and listen!): Scan in —right, left, and right again—while actively listening for sounds of vehicles, including cars, bicycles, e-scooters, motorcyclists, or services. This step addresses threats from multi-directional , especially near junctions where vehicles may turn unexpectedly from side roads, ensuring comprehensive detection before proceeding.
  4. Wait until it is safe to cross (Wait!): Let all approaching traffic pass until there is a clear and safe gap. If using a crossing, wait for vehicles to stop or the signal to change. Look and listen again to confirm no hazards are approaching before deciding to proceed. Do not judge vehicle speeds or rush.
  5. Look and listen again before crossing (Go straight across!): When traffic has cleared, walk straight across the road at a steady pace, to the traffic flow. Continue looking and listening for any emerging threats, such as turning vehicles, cyclists, or e-scooters, especially near junctions. Do not run or cross diagonally to maintain visibility to drivers.
  6. Arrive alive!: Keep looking and listening for traffic until you have safely reached the opposite pavement. Stay close to the kerb if possible to minimize time in the road and avoid straying into lanes.

Educational Implementation

The Green Cross Code has been a standard component of road safety education in primary schools since its launch in 1970, integrated into the personal, social, health, and economic (PSHE) curriculum to teach children essential pedestrian skills. Organizations such as the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) provide free lesson plans and guides tailored for classroom use, emphasizing the code's core steps through discussions, videos, and worksheets. Interactive resources, including road markings that simulate streets and crossings, allow pupils to practice in a controlled environment, reinforcing conceptual understanding over rote memorization. Teacher training supports effective delivery, with workshops conducted by local authority road safety officers who equip educators with strategies for age-appropriate instruction and . These sessions often incorporate role-playing simulations, such as mock road scenarios in school playgrounds, where children act out crossing decisions to build confidence and hazard recognition. For children aged 5-7 (), teaching focuses on simplified visuals and basic principles like "Stop, Look, Listen," using games, songs, and illustrated stories to match developmental stages before progressing to full code application around age 7. Beyond schools, community programs extend the code's reach through local council initiatives, such as County Council's Feet First walking , which combines classroom theory with supervised on-road practice for years 3-6 pupils. These efforts integrate with broader road user education, including links to cycling proficiency schemes like Bikeability, where pedestrian awareness modules reinforce safe road-sharing behaviors. RoSPA's research indicates that such combined approaches significantly improve knowledge retention, with on-road elements proving particularly effective for practical skill-building.

Mascots and Campaigns

Tufty the Squirrel

Tufty Fluffytail, an anthropomorphic character, was created in 1953 by Elsie Mills MBE, an employee of the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA), to deliver simple road safety messages to young children through engaging stories. Mills designed Tufty as a relatable figure to teach basic safety, predating the formal Green Cross Code but laying foundational educational approaches in the and via illustrated books and short animated films featuring Tufty and his animal friends, such as Willy , who often demonstrated the consequences of unsafe behavior. In 1961, RoSPA established the Tufty Club specifically for under-fives, which rapidly expanded to include road safety activities, games, and membership badges, reaching over 60,000 members by 1962 and growing to more than 2 million children across 24,500 registered clubs by 1972. From 1970 to 1975, Tufty became closely associated with the newly launched , appearing in a series of public information TV advertisements and storybooks that directly illustrated the code's core steps for safe road crossing. These stop-motion puppet animations, broadcast as short fillers on television, were narrated by actor , whose warm voice helped convey messages like finding a safe place to cross and checking for . Accompanying publications, such as RoSPA's Tufty Club booklets, used Tufty's adventures to break down the code into memorable sequences, reinforcing habits through rather than rote memorization. Tufty's distinctive design—a bushy-tailed with expressive features and often depicted in a —made him an endearing , while his signature catchphrase, "Tufty says: Stop, Look, and Listen," encapsulated the essence of vigilance before crossing. Tufty's prominence as the primary mascot waned after , coinciding with the introduction of a new human figurehead for the Green Cross Code campaign, though he continued to appear in educational materials into the . Despite this shift, the Tufty Club persisted as an active RoSPA initiative, evolving to incorporate modern safety topics while maintaining its focus on child engagement through updated animations and resources, ensuring Tufty's enduring role in road safety education into the 2020s. By the 2010s, RoSPA had revived Tufty in digital formats and exhibitions, such as the 2017 centenary display, highlighting his lasting cultural impact on generations of British children.

Green Cross Man

The Green Cross Man was introduced in 1975 by the Department of Transport as a caped mascot to promote the Green Cross Code among children, particularly older ones transitioning from earlier animal-based campaigns. Portrayed by actor and bodybuilder Dave Prowse, known for his role as in the Star Wars films, the character appeared in a series of public information films broadcast on British television from 1975 to 1990. This followed the Tufty the Squirrel initiatives targeted at younger audiences, shifting to a more dynamic, human figure to engage school-age children with action-oriented demonstrations of safe road crossing. Visually, the Green Cross Man was depicted in a distinctive green and white suit featuring a prominent green cross emblem on the chest, often teleporting to urban street scenes to guide children through the Code's steps—such as finding a safe place to cross, looking for traffic, and waiting until clear. Accompanied by a named Droid in early ads, he emphasized personal responsibility with the recurring : "Always use the Green Cross Code, because I won't be there when you cross ." Prowse, standing at 6'7", brought an imposing yet approachable presence to the role, performing in over a decade of these educational spots that highlighted real-world hazards like busy roads and parked cars. The mascot was phased out in the early as child road accident rates declined significantly, reflecting the campaign's success in reducing casualties by an estimated 50% during its run. However, the character saw occasional revivals, including a 2014 update for Road Safety Week where Prowse reprised the role in short films aimed at adults distracted by smartphones, adapting the message to contemporary risks. Prowse died on 28 November 2020, aged 85.

Additional Promotional Initiatives

The (COI) produced a series of public service announcements (PSAs) promoting the Green Cross Code during the 1970s and 1980s, distributed across television, cinema, and radio to reach broad audiences, including children and families. These PSAs emphasized the code's six steps through short, memorable narratives, often featuring dramatic scenarios to highlight road dangers and the importance of safe crossing practices. Radio versions, while less visually documented, were part of the COI's strategy to reinforce the message in everyday listening contexts, contributing to widespread public familiarity with the code. Print materials formed a key component of the promotional efforts, with the COI and RoSPA distributing posters, leaflets, and explanatory booklets starting from the code's 1970 launch to provide detailed guidance on pedestrian safety. These resources were often shared through schools, libraries, and centers, partnering with authorities and motoring organizations to maximize reach and encourage parental involvement in teaching the code. For instance, posters depicted the steps visually, using simple illustrations to make the information accessible and repeatable for young audiences. Celebrity endorsements amplified the campaign's visibility, with public figures appearing in PSAs to lend credibility and appeal, particularly to children. In 1976, footballer featured in a COI film urging kids to follow the code, portraying it as a heroic routine that could save lives, which helped sustain interest after initial awareness efforts waned. Similarly, singer starred in a 1976 PSA, demonstrating the steps in a dynamic, engaging style to make road safety feel exciting and relatable. Actor , known for , promoted the SPLINK mnemonic—a memory aid for the code's steps—in another COI production, further embedding the message through familiar voices. The Green Cross Code influenced international road safety initiatives, inspiring adaptations in other countries that adopted similar step-by-step guidelines tailored to local contexts. In , the Hector the Cat program in Victoria drew parallels to the UK's knowledge-based rules, using character-driven education to teach safe crossing, while other nations developed equivalent codes emphasizing observation and caution to reduce child risks. These global echoes integrated elements like the UK's focus on controlled crossings and awareness, often in partnership with international transport forums. These non-mascot efforts complemented mascot-based campaigns by providing versatile media formats that extended the code's reach beyond visual storytelling, fostering long-term behavioral changes through repeated exposure.

Impact and Legacy

Effectiveness and Road Safety Outcomes

The Green Cross Code contributed to notable improvements in child pedestrian in the UK during the late . Historical data from the indicate that child pedestrian fatalities (ages 0-14) fell from over 300 in the early 1970s to under 100 by 2000, a decline attributed in part to widespread educational initiatives like the Code, as analyzed in RoSPA's road safety research syntheses. This reduction occurred despite rising traffic volumes, highlighting the role of behavioral interventions in mitigating risks. Research from the in the 1970s demonstrated the Code's success in raising awareness among schoolchildren. Post-launch reports showed improvements in and of safe crossing behaviors following and practical sessions. In comparison to the pre-1970 Kerb Drill, which emphasized rigid military-style rules and showed limited uptake among children due to its formal tone, the Green Cross Code achieved higher engagement through its step-by-step, child-friendly approach. Child pedestrian fatalities have continued to decline, averaging under 40 per year as of 2024.

Modern Usage and Adaptations

The Green Cross Code remains a cornerstone of pedestrian safety education in UK schools, with the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) providing updated resources such as practical training packs for children in years 3-4 and parent guides that integrate the code into everyday road safety lessons. In 2025, initiatives like "Green Cross Coding," developed by Northumberland County Council and Northumbria University, introduced innovative programming-based learning, where children use devices such as the BBC micro:bit to simulate and sequence the code's steps, helping local authorities trial interactive methods to reinforce safe crossing behaviors. Digital adaptations have expanded the code's reach since 2010, incorporating apps, online videos, and (VR) simulations developed by organizations like and various local councils to engage younger audiences. For instance, has produced educational videos and partnered on initiatives like the "Green Car Cross Code" app, which updates traditional guidance for modern contexts, while councils such as have rolled out training courses featuring the code for pupils. VR tools, including the 2019 "Virtual Road World" app and the 2023 "SaferKids VR" game, immerse users in simulated environments to practice crossing scenarios aligned with the code's principles, with endorsements from road safety groups for their effectiveness in building practical skills. To address contemporary challenges, the code has been adapted in the to account for the quiet operation of electric vehicles (EVs), with revised "listen" guidance emphasizing visual checks and extra caution, as highlighted in Brake's "Green Car Cross Code" campaign launched in collaboration with ZenAuto. This update builds on the original steps by incorporating alerts for silent traffic, responding to the rise in EV adoption and associated pedestrian risks. Recent efforts include RoSPA's ongoing campaigns against distractions near roads. These adaptations ensure the code's relevance amid evolving urban environments and technologies.

References

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