Health: How to Cross a Road or Rail Crossing Safely
Stop, look, listen, and make safe choices near roads and tracks
Health: How to Cross a Road or Rail Crossing Safely
Stop, look, listen, and make safe choices near roads and tracks
Health - Grade 4-5
- 1
You reach the curb at a crosswalk. The pedestrian signal says WALK, but a car is turning nearby. What should you do before stepping into the road?
A WALK signal tells you when to start checking, but it does not replace looking and listening.
You should stop at the curb, look left, right, and left again, listen for traffic, and make sure the turning car has stopped or passed before crossing. - 2
Write the three main steps in the safety rule Stop, Look, Listen. Explain what each step means.
Stop means pause before entering the road or tracks. Look means check carefully in all directions for vehicles or trains. Listen means use your ears to notice engines, horns, bells, or warnings. - 3
Maya wants to cross a street between two parked cars because the crosswalk is half a block away. What is the safer choice, and why?
Think about where drivers expect pedestrians to be.
The safer choice is to walk to the crosswalk. Drivers can see pedestrians more easily at a crosswalk, and Maya can use signals and traffic signs to cross more safely. - 4
At a rail crossing, the red lights are flashing and the gate is coming down. Your friend says there is still time to run across. What should you do?
You should stay well back from the tracks and wait. Never run around a gate or cross when lights are flashing because a train may be close and cannot stop quickly. - 5
Which is safer at a road crossing: listening to music with both earbuds in, or removing earbuds before crossing? Explain your answer.
Listening is one part of Stop, Look, Listen.
Removing earbuds before crossing is safer because you need to hear traffic, horns, sirens, bicycle bells, and other warning sounds. - 6
A ball rolls into the street. A student runs after it without stopping. What should the student have done instead?
The student should have stopped at the curb, looked and listened for traffic, and asked an adult for help if needed. A ball can be replaced, but safety comes first. - 7
You are at a corner with a crossing guard. The guard is holding up a stop sign for cars and tells students to wait. What should you do?
A safe crossing includes listening to trusted adults who are helping.
You should wait until the crossing guard says it is safe to cross. Crossing guards help manage traffic, and students should follow their directions. - 8
At a rail crossing, you see tracks but no train. List two things you should still do before crossing.
You should stop and look both ways along the tracks. You should also listen for train horns, bells, or engine sounds and check that no warning lights or gates are active. - 9
A pedestrian signal changes to a flashing DON'T WALK while you are halfway across the street. What should you do?
A flashing signal often means finish crossing if you already started safely.
You should keep walking carefully to the other side without running, while watching for traffic. You should not turn back unless an adult or officer tells you to. - 10
Explain why trains are different from cars when they need to stop.
Trains are much heavier than cars and need a much longer distance to stop. This is why people must never try to beat a train across the tracks. - 11
Look at this situation: a student is standing behind the yellow safety line at a rail platform while a train approaches. Describe two safe behaviors the student should use.
Safe rail behavior includes giving the train plenty of space.
The student should stay behind the yellow safety line and face the tracks without playing or pushing. The student should also keep belongings close and wait until the train fully stops before moving toward a door. - 12
Create a short safety reminder for younger students about crossing roads or rail crossings. Include the words Stop, Look, and Listen.
A good reminder could be: Stop before you cross, Look in every direction, and Listen for traffic or trains. Cross only when it is safe and never rush.