Sharing the road

Blind and partially sighted people are taught to find the kerb and then listen for a gap in the traffic. Their cane may be resting against the kerb edge, or they may have a guide dog beside them.

• Do not brake suddenly – blind and partially sighted people will have heard you coming and are unlikely to step onto the road
• Do not stop to let a blind or partially sighted person cross the road as if they were at a zebra crossing. The sound of your engine will mask the sounds made by other vehicles that may not stop.
• Not everyone who is blind or partially sighted will have the mobility skills taught by the Royal New Zealand Foundation of the Blind.
• Over sixty-five percent of blind and partially sighted New Zealanders are over the age of 65. For some a vision impairment is just one of several conditions caused by ageing and can compound the problems created by arthritis, poor balance and poor hearing

Zebra crossing

Please be patient when a blind or partially sighted person is waiting at a zebra crossing. To ensure they are safe they have to listen out for traffic and make sure the cars from both directions have stopped

• Do not flash your headlights or sound your horn
• Do not shout instructions – this can be distracting or dangerous for a blind or partially sighted person
• Do not stop short of the crossing – this can confuse a blind or partially sighted person because they wont know if you are waiting for them to cross or you are waiting to turn

A buzzer crossing

Don't be confused if a blind or partially sighted person hesitates at a traffic light crossing. It takes time to line up for a straight crossing so they may be waiting for the next light sequence.

• Do not stop if the lights are in your favour – this can confuse the pedestrian and it also exposes you to the risk of being struck by a vehicle from behind
• Do not stop with your car partially or fully blocking the crossing – If a person with a white cane attempts to cross they may walk straight into your carIf your car is covering the crossing do not roll back once pedestrians have started crossing. It is better for someone to walk into a stationary vehicle rather than a moving one

A traffic light controlled intersection

Blind or partially sighted people are taught to cross an intersection when the traffic parallel to their route begins to move. Doing this by listening takes a little longer than usual so they may not step onto the road the moment the light changes.

• If you are going straight, do not delay starting forward when the light changes (that is their prompt)
• If you are turning across their path, give them time to make their move
• Do not 'rev' your engine while waiting at the lights, this can be taken to mean you are about to move off.
• When turning, give way to all pedestrians. You do not know if they've seen you.