Winter warning for pedestrians

More pedestrians are killed or injured in November than any other month, but worryingly, children in particular aren't doing enough to make themselves safer and more visible on the roads, according to a study from Admiral.

Car insurance specialist Admiral asked 1,000 children about their road safety habits and was concerned to find less than half (48%) cross the road in well lit places when it's dark, just a third (33%) wear reflective clothing and only a quarter (25%) wear anything brightly coloured. Even more worryingly, one in ten (10%) say they do not do anything differently when it's dark to make themselves more noticeable when it comes to road safety and awareness.

And to potentially put themselves at even more risk, nearly one in ten children (8%) admit to crossing the road while talking on their phones, texting or listening to an iPod/MP3 player and almost a fifth (18%) never follow the Green Cross Code when crossing the road.

Admiral Managing Director, Sue Longthorn, said, "As we move into the winter months it's paramount to be more aware on the roads as a pedestrian. With fewer hours of daylight, it's harder for motorists to see pedestrians as it is, but even more so if the pedestrians don't take precautions to make themselves more visible.

"Children need to switch off their electronic devices, follow the Green Cross Code and make sure that motorists can easily see them when they are crossing the road."

So, to highlight the importance of the Green Cross Code for the 21st Century, Admiral has put together a video with presenter Angellica Bell, highlighting what dangers exist for children on our roads today and how to avert them. It also features Kevin Clinton from the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents. To see the video visit admiral.com/GreenCrossCode

The best steps to take before crossing the road are:

Find a safe spot, ideally at a designated crossing in a well lit area.

STOP just before you get to the kerb and do not get too close to the traffic. Make sure that all mobile phones and gadgets are put away and that earphones have been removed.

LOOK all around for traffic. Traffic could come from any direction.

And LISTEN because you can sometimes hear traffic before you see it. Nothing you're doing at that time is more important than crossing theroad safely.