Toucan crossing
A light-controlled crossing where cyclists may ride across alongside pedestrians — "two can" cross.
At almost every other crossing a cyclist is expected to dismount and walk. A toucan is the exception: it is wider than a normal crossing and cyclists ride over it, sharing the space with people on foot. The name is the memory hook — two can cross.
For drivers that changes what you are watching for. A cyclist arrives at the crossing much faster than a pedestrian does, so someone who was not there when you last looked can be on the crossing by the time you reach it. Check the approach paths on both sides, not just the kerb.
They are commonly placed where a cycle route crosses a road, and they are light-controlled, so the signals tell you what to do. The judgement is in the approach — expecting the speed of a bicycle rather than the speed of a walker.
10 practice questions on this
Each one shows the answer, and our note on why every other option is not it.
Car
- How is a toucan crossing different from a puffin crossing? Vulnerable road users
- Which road users benefit from toucan crossings? Rules of the road
- Which type of crossing allows cyclists to ride across with pedestrians? Attitude
- Who may use toucan crossings? Vulnerable road users
- When may you use hazard warning lights while you're driving? Road and traffic signs