Pedestrian crossing

What it means

This sign warns that pedestrians cross the road at this location, either at a marked crosswalk or at a place where foot traffic predictably meets the roadway. It is placed where the crossing may not be visible early enough from a driver's normal scanning pattern, or where vehicle speeds make pedestrian conflicts severe. The human figure is the whole message: someone on foot may be in or entering your path within the next few seconds, and the sign asks you to be already looking for them.

How it gets misread

A common misread is assuming the sign guarantees that any pedestrian you meet is within the crosswalk and therefore the only one to yield to. Another is treating it as a marked crossing when in some locations it marks an unmarked but predictable crossing point; the duty to yield to pedestrians in crosswalks applies regardless.

What to do

Slow through the area, scan the sidewalks and median for people approaching the edge rather than already on the road, and expect the unexpected from children, older pedestrians and people with strollers or carts. Stop well back from the crossing so approaching drivers can also see around you, and never pass another vehicle stopped at a crossing.

Practise this rule

• Pedestrians in a Crosswalk: Who Has the Right of Way

  A pedestrian has stepped into a marked crosswalk at an intersection with no traffic signal. What are you required to do?

More warning signs

• School crossing →
• Deer crossing →

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