Do Good, Be Good
Road Safety
Roads talk to us through shapes, colours and even shiny studs that glow at night. Learn the secret language of the road and become a road-safety champion!
Did you know?
Road signs have a shape code! In India, circles usually give rules, like 'No Horn', and triangles with red borders warn of danger ahead, like a sharp bend.
The shiny road studs that glow in headlights are called 'cat's eyes'. Percy Shaw of England patented them in 1934 and named them after the way a cat's eyes shine in the dark.
Big trucks and buses have blind spots: areas around them that the driver cannot see. A safety rule says: if you can't see the driver's face in their mirror, the driver can't see you. So keep well away!
Try this: Road sign safari
Do this with an adult
On your next walk or ride with an adult, spot as many road signs as you can while staying safely on the footpath. Draw each sign in a notebook and sort them into groups: circles (rules), triangles (warnings) and rectangles (often information, like the way to a hospital). Which group has the most signs?
Go further: Be seen at night
Drivers find it hard to see walkers and cyclists in the dark. That's why many school bags, jackets and bicycles have reflective strips that shine brightly when headlights fall on them. In the evening, wear light-coloured clothes, use the lights and reflectors on your cycle, and when there is no footpath, walk on the right-hand side of the road, facing the oncoming traffic, so you can see what's coming.