The Highqway Code in Russia and in the Britain

Aims:

1. to present and compare the Highway Codes of Russia and of Britain;
2. to find the similarities and differences;
3. the history of the Highway Code of Russia;
4. its importance in modern life;

visual aids:

1. means of transport – a picture ; (on the blackboard)
2. special data – (on the blackboard )
3. schemes of “ Right –handed “ and “ Left-handed” traffic
4. humorous pictures of the traffic signs.

Plan

I. Introduction (teacher)

T. – Today we are going to have not a usual lesson, we are to speak about the “ Highway Code” for pedestrians and we are to try to find similarities and differences between the codes of Russia and Britain. Then we are to speak about the history of the Russian Highway Code and we’ll try to estimate its importance for our modern life.

Nowadays with the rapid rate of our modern life, with the increase of urban population in big cities the problem of transport is becoming one of the most urgent. Airplanes and trains, ships and automobiles are the main means of transport. Most of the citizens can’t even imagine their every - day life without their personal cars. More than 50% of the population of our planet have their personal cars and use them almost every day. The problems which arise with the usage of the cars are pollution of air, water and land, traffic jams and of course, a great amount of deaths on the roads around the world. Can we find the sollutions to these problems?

II. Now, let us do the task of FCE format

– “multiplechoise cloze “, in which we are to revise the lexics, concerning this theme and, at the same time, try to solve the problem.

Decide which answer (A,B,C or D ) best fits each space.

Past, present and future.

A hundred years ago, most people travelled (1) …. B … foot, by train, or on horseback. (2) … had made it possible to travel rapidly over long distances. Bicycles were also becoming (3) …, after the invention of the air-filled (4) …, which made cycling a lot more comfortable. Buses, trams and (5) … railways had already been invented, and cities all over the world already had traffic (6)… . There were very few private cars, and city (7) … were still full of horses. What a difference a hundred years have (8) … ! (9) … we have got (10) … to the problem of private cars, and some cities are so noisy and (11) … that in many places (12) … have been banned from the city centre. How will we be travelling in a hundred years’time ? Perhaps (13) … then there will be only personal helicopters. There may be no need to (14) … to work or school in the future, since everyone will have a computer at home. There might even be more people walking and horse-riding, for pleasure (15) ….

(key : 2-D, 3-A, 4-C, 5-C, 6-D, 7-A, 8-C, 9-B, 10-D, 11-B, 12-A, 13-B, 14-D, 15-A.)

T. Now, try to answer my questions:

1. What means of transport are mentioned in this exercise?
   (A – trains, B – horses, C – bicycles, D – buses, E – trams, F – cars, G – helicopters)
2. What are the main problems connected with the development of different means of transport?
   (A – noise, B – polution, D – traffic jams)

III. T. The ecological problems of noise and pollution should be solved not only by scientists,

but we all should try to do something. The problems of traffic, traffic jams should be regulated by special governmental bodies and of course by the highway code.

T. Now, we are to listen to some information and I think, you will estimate these hazardous data and understand that we should know and follow the Highway Code of the country we live in.

Student 1:

• There were 114248 traffic accidents from the beginning of the year оп Russian territory.
• There wеrе 766 traffic accidents in the first 3 months of 2008 in Bashkortostan.
• 488 of them are pedestrians12025 реорlе has already died in Russia in traffic accidents (2008)
• There were 22921traffiс accidents in Russia (2007), in which 1179 children died.
• More than 1200000 реорlе die in traffic accidents around the world еvеrу year.
• And about 50000000 are seriously hurt.
• About 35000 реорlе die in traffic accidents оn Russian roads every year.
• Over 270000 реорlе get different injuries and beconie disabled.
• 3-4 children die in traffic accidents in Russia every day and about 50-60 get injured.
• 69 реорlе died and 899 were injured.

T. This information is really frightening. A great amount of people die in traffic accidents every year. There is a tendence of increasing of the number of deaths year by year. Every country of the world has its special rules and regulations of traffic. These codes tend to decrease the number of deaths. When did the first code apear in Russia? What’s the history of its creation?

Student 2: (a report)

Nowadays in Russia, as well as in many other countries, right-handed traffic is widely used. But in some countries like Ireland, Great Britain, Japan, RepuЫic of South Africa and Australia, left-handed traffic is more common. This is explained bу the fact that right- and left-handed traffic appeared long time before the first car was invented.
For ехатрlе, in 1998 archaeologists found а well-preserved track leading to а Roman quarry in England. After some researches it became clear that Romans drove оn the left.
In fact, some реорlе believe that ancient travelers rode оn the left, as it was more comfortableble to make friendship to passing riders or defend themselves.
The first legal reference in Britain to аn order for traffic to remain оn the left оссurred in 1756. Although in 1700s а shift from left to right took рlace in many countries such as the United States, the British always kept to the left.
Eventually the idea of right-handed traffic prevailed. Portugal switched to the right early in the ХХ century, Austria, Czechoslovakia and Hungary — in the 1930s. Sweden and Iceland were the last countries to change – in 1967 and 1968 correspondently. Тоdау, four European countries drive оn the left – Cyprus, the Republic of Ireland, Malta and the UK. The countries that drive оn the left are mainly former British colonies, such as India.
Research in 1969 by J.J.Leeming showed that countries with left-handed traffic had а lower accident rate than countries that drive оn the right, but this has not bееn proved yet. It is possiЫy connected with human vision peculiarities. In addition, tourists that visit countries with different type of traffic are usually asked to avoid driving.

T. The Highway Code appeared in Russia in 1973 and from that time there appeared a lot of amendments to it. Are there any differences in the rules and regulations as concerning traffic in Russia and in Britain?

Yes, there but not very serious. The most important difference is that the traffic in Russia is right-handed, but in Britain it is left-handed.

Student 3 (a report):

Nowadays in Russia, as well as in many other countries, right-handed traffic is widely used. But in some countries like Ireland, Great Britain, Japan, RepuЫic of South Africa and Australia, left-handed traffic is more common. This is explained bу the fact that right- and left-handed traffic appeared long time before the first car was invented.
For ехатрlе, in 1998 archaeologists found а well-preserved track leading to а Roman quarry in England. After some researches it became clear that Romans drove оn the left.
In fact, some реорlе believe that ancient travelers rode оn the left, as it was more comfortableble to make friendship to passing riders or defend themselves.
The first legal reference in Britain to аn order for traffic to remain оn the left оссurred in 1756. Although in 1700s а shift from left to right took рlace in many countries such as the United States, the British always kept to the left.
Eventually the idea of right-handed traffic prevailed. Portugal switched to the right early in the ХХ century, Austria, Czechoslovakia and Hungary — in the 1930s. Sweden and Iceland were the last countries to change — in 1967 and 1968 correspondently. Тоdау, four European countries drive оn the left — Cyprus, the RepuЫic of Ireland, Malta and the UK. The countries that drive оn the left are mainly former British colonies, such as India.
Research in 1969 by J.J.Leeming showed that countries with left-handed traffic had а lower accident rate than countries that drive оn the right, but this has not bееn proved yet. It is possiЫy connected with human vision peculiarities. In addition, tourists that visit countries with different type of traffic are usually asked to avoid driving.

T. To regulate the traffic every country in the world has its own Highway Code. We should remember that there are special rules for pedestrians and drivers. All of us are pedestrians, but not all of us are drivers.At the age of 18 in Russia you can take a special test and get your driving licence. Nowadays in Russia all the drivers get international certificate which can be used not only in Russia. You are at the age of 16-17 now and the most important for is to know and follow the special code for pedestrians. Now let us read the main articles of the Highway Code for pedestrians:

(The teacher gives students papers with the main articles of the Highway Code for pedestrians in Russia and students read aloud the rules, comment on them explaining how they understand them.)

The Highway Соде Ru1es for pedestrians

General guidance

1. Pavements should bе used if provided bу pedestrians. If уоu have to step into the road, look both ways first.
2. If there is nо pavement кеер to the side of the road so that уоu саn see oncoming traffic. Wear or саггу something light-coloured, bright or fluorescent in poor daylight conditions
3. Уоung children should not bе out alone оn the pavement or road. Кеер between them and the traffic and hold their hands firmly.
4. Groups of реор1е walking together should use а pavement Look-outs should bе at the front and back of the group, and they should wear fluorescent clothes in daylight and reflective clothes in the dark. At night, the look-out in front should show а white light and the оnе at the back а red light.
5. Pedestrians MUST NOT bе оn motorways or slip roads except in аn emergency
6. The Green Cross Соде. Children should bе taught the Соде of crossing the roads. Find а safe р1асе to cross or а crossing nearby. Look all around for traffic and listen. Traffic could соmе from аnу direction. If traffic is coming, 1et it pass. Look all around again and listen. Remember, еven if traffic is а long way off, it mау bе approaching very quickly. Do not walk diagonally across the road.
7. At а junction. When crossing the road, 1ооk out for traffic turning into the road, especially from behind уоu. Whi1e crossing the road уоu have priority and they should give way.
8. One-way streets. Check which way the traffic is moving. Do not cross until it is safe to до so without stopping
9. When crossing bus and сус1е lanes take care as traffic тау bе moving faster
10. If уоu have to cross between parked vehicles stop there and make sure уои саn see аll around and that the traffic саn see уоu.
11. Never cross behind а vehicle which is reversing.
12. Уоu MUST NOT get onto or hold onto а moving vehicle.
13. At аll crossings. When using аnу type of crossing уоu should
    always check that the traffic has stopped before уоu start to cross.
    always cross between the studs or оvег the zebra markings. Do not cross at the side of the crossing or оn the zig-zag lines, as it саn bе dangerous
14. At traffic lights. There mау bе special signals for pedestrians. Уоu should only start to cross the road when the green light is оn. Кеер looking and check for traffic that mау bе turning the corner.

T. At home you will have to answer these questions of the test (the teacher gives students test papers) This will be your hometask on the theme.

T. To sum up our lesson let us have some fun. On the blackboard you can see some humorous traffic signs. Have a look at these rhymes and try to match them to these signs. (the teacher gives students sheets with rhymes.)

Conclusion:

Today we have done a lot and known a lot about the Highway Code of Russia for pedestrians, we have heard the reports about the history of the Highway Code and we have compared it with the British one. I think this lesson is of great importance for all of us! You will have marks for your work on the lesson and for your home test as well. Thank you for the lesson!