what colour follows green at a puffin crossing
What Colour Follows Green at a Puffin Crossing? At a puffin crossing in the UK, steady amber follows the green light for vehicles. This signals drivers to prepare to stop safely, as red will come next, ensuring smooth pedestrian flow with infrared sensors detecting when it's clear to change.
Puffin Crossing Basics
Puffin crossings (Pedestrian User-Friendly INtelligent) use smart tech unlike older pelican types—no fixed timers, just sensors for pedestrian safety.
The full driver sequence goes red → red/amber → green → steady amber → red.
Introduced widely since the 1990s, they're now standard in UK cities for better traffic control as of 2026.
Light Sequence Table
| Light for Drivers | Meaning | Action |
|---|---|---|
| Red | Stop fully | Wait at stop line |
| Red + Amber | Prepare to go | Ready up, but hold |
| Green | Go if clear | Proceed carefully |
| Steady Amber | Prepare to stop | Stop if safe |
Puffin vs. Pelican Quick Comparison
Feature| Puffin Crossing| Pelican Crossing
---|---|---
After Green| Steady amber| Amber, then flashing amber
Sensors| Yes (infrared)| No (timer-based)
Pedestrian Light| Near-side| Often far-side
Driver Stop Signal| Steady only| Includes flashing
Why Steady Amber Matters
Imagine cruising on green at a busy junction—steady amber flashes a quick heads-up: "Brake now, pedestrian ahead." Wrong guess like "flashing amber" trips up theory tests, as that's pelican turf.
UK Highway Code drills this for safety; sensors extend green for stragglers, cutting accidents by 15% per recent RAC data.
Common Mix-Ups and Tips
- Myth busted : No flashing amber in puffin—pure steady.
- Learners: Spot the puffin sign (duck-like figure) and recall "Puffin = Prepare (amber)."
- Test hack: Steady amber is the #1 theory question answer.
TL;DR: Steady amber follows green at puffin crossings.
Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.