Puffin Crossing

Anyone looking to pass their driving test needs to be familiar with all types of pedestrian crossings. One of these types is the puffin crossing.

Why is it called a puffin crossing?

The term puffin crossing comes from the first letters of the phrase “Pedestrian User-Friendly INtelligent.” The abbreviation PUFIN has then been expanded to ‘puffin’. This is because puffins are a well-known bird species found in the UK and Ireland. It was thought that people would readily remember the name puffin crossing because they were already familiar with pelican crossings. (Pelican crossings are an older form of crossing also named after a type of bird).

Puffin crossings are a modern approach to keeping pedestrians safe at road crossings. They use sensors to detect when pedestrians are crossing or waiting to cross the road. The ‘INTELLIGENT’ part of puffin crossings comes from the use of these smart sensors. They are seen as an example of ‘smart crossings’ because they can sense and determine when a pedestrian is on or at the crossing.

What is the design of a puffin crossing?

Puffin crossings stand out from other pedestrian crossings because of their unusual design. This includes a black and yellow box with a button to press. They are mounted at waist height to make them accessible to people in wheelchairs or other mobility aids.

Some push-button puffin crossings are also fitted with a tactile knob under the unit which rotates to indicate whether or not the pedestrian should cross. This feature is there to help visually impaired people who may struggle to see the light change, but it is not included in most puffin crossings.

In puffin crossings, the pedestrian signal lights are mounted on the same side of the road as the pedestrian, rather than across the road. One of the reasons it was designed in this way is because locating the lights closer to the pedestrian user offers additional aid to visually impaired people who could have difficulty viewing the signal from the other side of the road.

From these descriptions, it is clear that although puffin crossings are designed for all pedestrians, they have been designed to make it much easier for elderly and disabled pedestrians to cross the road.

Puffin crossings are set diagonally to the kerb. Their angled locations allow pedestrians to have a clear view of the road as well as the lights, and this positioning enables the pedestrian to monitor passing traffic before crossing.

Puffin crossing technology

Puffin crossings contain two different sensors to intelligently control traffic and pedestrian movements. These sensors mean they react to pedestrians rather than being controlled by pre-set intervals.  The pedestrian crossing detector (PCD) and pedestrian kerb detector (PKD) work together to detect both the presence of pedestrians and whether they are actually crossing the road.

The PCD checks the location and pace of the pedestrian as they cross the road. They can make sure the traffic is stopped for longer if a pedestrian is moving slowly and is still on the road – something that other crossing technology cannot accommodate.

The PKD kicks in if a pedestrian has pressed the button but has decided to cross anyway. The PKD can cancel the initial button request, meaning it is less disruptive to traffic and makes the crossing lights much more efficient for motorists as well as pedestrians.

Puffin crossing lights for pedestrians

Above the black and yellow button boxes, there are lit screens which display either a green or red man will appear, signalling instructions to pedestrians. The usual wording displayed below the green or red man is ‘Push button’ and ‘Wait for Signal’.

The puffin crossing will display either an illuminated red or green person. The red man instructs the pedestrian when not to cross, while the green man will appear when it is safe to do so. These lights do not flash in any way to the pedestrian – they are a simple instruction to stay or go – and they are visible when you begin crossing the road rather than when you reach your destination. Because of the sensor-based technology underpinning puffins, the time a person is taking to cross the road will be factored into the system. It also means there is no flashing green man in use: the display screen will always show either static red or static green.

Puffin crossings will also emit a beeping sound when the green man is displayed. If there are nearby houses, however, a timer is often installed in order to ensure the beeping only operates at certain hours of the day.

Puffin crossing lights for vehicles

There are four possible light instructions for vehicles concerning puffin crossings:

• Static red light: Stop and wait
• Red and amber lights together: Continue to stop, but the instruction will change soon
• Green: Go
• Amber: Prepare for a possible red light

Unlike some other traffic technology, the amber signal is steady and constant rather than flashing. Because the technology is sensitive to actual pedestrians, puffin crossings are therefore less disruptive to traffic flow than other forms of safety crossing.

Although it is not illegal to drive through a steady amber light, it is not good practice. During driving tests you might fail your test if you drive through a steady amber light while a pedestrian is on the crossing.

Other issues for drivers at puffin crossings

It is illegal to overtake another vehicle at a puffin crossing.

Also, vehicles are not allowed to park or obstruct the zigzag lines found on either side of puffin crossings. This is because doing so will reduce visibility for pedestrians using the crossings, and would increase the potential of accidents.

Difference between puffin and pelican crossing

Puffin crossings are intelligent in a way that pelican crossings are not. The main design difference is the location of a puffin crossing’s instruction lights. They are on the same side of the road as the pedestrian, rather than across the road as in pelican crossings. Their location at the near roadside and their diagonal positioning also make them look different. They also do not use flashing lights.

Difference between puffin and zebra crossing

A zebra crossing is a pedestrian crossing marked with white stripes and amber beacons. It is a static form of crossing relying on vehicles slowing down to allow pedestrians to cross. It does not employ any advanced technology and there are no light changes directed at pedestrians.

Difference between puffin and toucan crossing

A toucan crossing is simply a puffin crossing which also permits bicycles to cross. On toucan crossings, a bicycle symbol is added to the red or green crossing man. The green man crossing instruction means cyclists are allowed to ride across the crossing without having to dismount. Toucan crossings are also wider than puffin crossings in order to accommodate bicycles.

Usage and safety of puffin crossings

Puffin crossings have been used in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland since 1992. Puffin crossings are only really used in the UK, rather than in other countries. They now tend to be fitted in the UK as the standard form of a new pedestrian crossing. They are an increasing type of crossing because they are more reactive to traffic. Since 2016, the UK Government has moved to gradually phase out pelican crossings and replace them with puffin crossings.

However, there is variable take-up of the technology at the local authority level. Transport for London decided in 2014 to stop installing puffins. Birmingham City Council decided at the same time not to install low-level indicators at busy city centre crossings. Their main concern is that the pedestrian indicator could be obscured by crowds.

Studies have, however, shown that puffin crossings are safer than pelican crossings because they involve fewer accidents. Puffin crossings are always safer for pedestrians because there is no ‘flashing’ period for either drivers or pedestrians. This approach means drivers will not be tempted to drive when traffic lights are flashing amber.