Road rules in NT

Safety tips for pedestrians

Stop, look and listen and think before crossing a road.

Never assume that an approaching vehicle will stop.

Use footpaths and nature strips where provided.

Keep to the left side of the footpath.

Wear light or bright-coloured clothing.

Cross at the safest locations or at a pedestrian crossing or traffic lights.

Rules for pedestrians

Crossing the road

You must do all of the following:

• cross at the shortest, safest route
• don't stay on the road longer than necessary
• don't cross 20m from a crossing on the road unless:
  • crossing to or from a safety zone
  • there is a diagonal pedestrian crossing light
  • you are crossing a shared zone.

Crossing at pedestrian traffic lights

Red man or don't walk sign - you must stop and wait for the green man.

Red flashing man - don't start crossing the road, but you can finish crossing the road.

green man or walk sign - it's safe to cross.

Pedestrians must not start to cross.

Pedestrians must not start to cross but may finish crossing.

Rules for drivers

Pedestrian crossings

You must give way to pedestrians - even if there is no marked pedestrian crossing or intersection - if there is any danger of colliding with them.

You must also give way when making a turn at an intersection.

You must not stop on or within 20m before or 10m after a pedestrian crossing.

Pedestrian crossings are usually marked by white stripes on the road and are also known as zebra crossings.

Some pedestrian crossings have zigzag lines marked on the road before the crossing.

Don't overtake any vehicle that is stopping or has stopped at a crossing.

Pedestrian refuges

A pedestrian refuge is a concrete island in the middle of the road that allows pedestrians to cross the road in two stages.

When you are approaching a pedestrian refuge you should always look out for pedestrians.

Pelican crossings

A pelican crossing is a special kind of pedestrian crossing controlled by traffic lights.

The traffic lights for drivers have a different colour sequence to other situations.

After the red light, the traffic lights start to flash yellow.  At the same time the pedestrians see a red man or red 'Don't Walk' sign.

When the flashing yellow signal starts you can drive carefully through the crossing if there is no risk of hitting a pedestrian.

Children's crossings

These are crossings which operate before, during and after school hours on school days. They are highlighted by red flags with the words 'Children Crossing' on them.

When the flags are displayed you must slow down and stop before the stop line if a pedestrian is on or entering the crossing. You must not proceed until all pedestrians have left the crossing.

You must not stop on or within 20m before or 10m after a children's crossing.

If there is a school crossing supervisor displaying a 'Children Crossing' sign, you must slow down and stop.

You may proceed when the school crossing supervisor no longer displays the sign in your direction or has indicated it is safe for you to proceed.