Green Cross Code

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

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

The Green Cross Code

The Green Cross Code itself is a short step-by-step procedure designed to enable pedestrians to cross streets safely. While the Code has undergone several changes over the years, the basic tenets ("Stop, Look, Listen, Think" or "Stop Look Listen Live".) have remained more or less the same. The 2005 version of the Green Cross Code reads as follows:

# "THINK." Find the safest place to cross, then stop.
# "STOP." Stand on the pavement near the kerb.
# "USE YOUR EYES AND EARS." Look all around for traffic, and listen.
# "WAIT UNTIL IT'S SAFE TO CROSS." If traffic is coming, let it pass.
# "LOOK AND LISTEN." When it's safe, walk straight across the road.
# "ARRIVE ALIVE." Keep looking and listening for traffic while you cross.

The Green Cross Code Man

The Green Cross Code Man (sometimes known simply as "Green Cross") is a costumed superhero character created in 1975 as an aid to teaching young children the Green Cross Code, and for promoting general road safety. British actor David Prowse MBE, a bodybuilder and former Mr. Universe (and the actor best known for his portrayal of Darth Vader in the Star Wars films) is famous for his realisation of the character in a well-known series of Public Information Films (PIFs) sponsored by the Central Office of Information for the UK Department of the Environment. The light-hearted spots ran on UK television from 1975 to 1990. In the films, the Green Cross Code Man character has the power to teleport from his monitoring station at Green Cross Control to any location where youths are in need of pedestrian safety instruction. He accomplishes this by use of a wristwatch-like "Dematerialiser" device. On these missions he is sometimes accompanied by a whimsical robot companion. 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."

Other campaigns

In 1976, actor Jon Pertwee, famous as the Third Doctor on the TV series "Doctor Who", appeared in a PIF for the Green Cross Code introducing the mnemonic "SPLINK", which appeared to stand for:

* (Find a) Safe (place to cross)
* (Stand on the) Pavement
* Look (for traffic)
* If (traffic is coming, let it pass)
* (When there is) No (traffic near, walk across the road)
* Keep (looking and listening for traffic as you cross).

Dont Step Out Campaign

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."

ee also

* Highway Code

References

External links

* [http://www.hedgehogs.gov.uk/ Hedgehogs.gov.uk] (The 2005 Green Cross Code website)
* [http://www.rospa.com/index.htm RoSPA]
* [http://www.thinkroadsafety.gov.uk/index.htm Think! Road Safety] (UK Department for Transport)
* [http://www.darthvader-starwars.com/daveprowse/green.html Official Website] of David Prowse

*Public information films from the BBC
** [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/4690160.stm SPLINK!]
** [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/4690166.stm The Tufty Club]
** [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/4690148.stm The Green Cross Code Man]