When you are in England, you must be very careful in the street because the traffic drives on the left. Before you cross a street, you must look to the right first and then the left. If the traffic lights are red, the traffic must stop. People on foot can cross the road carefully. If the traffic lights are green, the traffic can go and people on foot must not cross. In the morning and in the evening when people go to or come from work, the streets are very busy.

When you go by bus in England, you have to be careful, too. Always remember the traffic moves on the left. Have a look first or you will go the wrong way. In many English cities, there are big buses with two floors. You can sit on the second floor. From there you can see the city well. It is very interesting.

Last week was Road Safety Week at Jason's school. All the students had to take part in a talk on road safety which was given by a police officer. The following is what the police officer said.

"Most traffic accidents shouldn't happen. They happen because people are careless. Frequent cause of traffic accidents is speed. Some people drive too quickly. This means that if they have to stop suddenly, they cannot stop quickly enough to avoid(避免) hitting other vehicles(车辆) or people. You need to remember this when you are crossing the street or walking along the sidewalk."

"It's not only drivers who cause accidents, however, people on foot—pedestrians(行人), and bicycle riders often cause accidents, too. Pedestrians sometimes walk out into the street without looking. You should always look on both sides before stepping into the street."

"Do any of you ride a bike? Bicycle riders can cause accidents by changing directions suddenly or without warning other road users. Before you turn left, for example, you should check behind you to make sure there aren't any cars, trucks or buses coming. You should show with your left hand to tell that you want to turn left. You should not turn until the street is clear."

"The rules of the road are very simple. If we learn them and obey them, we will not have accidents any more."

Driving in the U.S. can be difficult to understand not just because of all the rules and laws that drivers must follow, but also because of driving customs. Many people in the U.S. are really dependent on their cars to get to work and school. In fact most American workers spend an hour driving to work each day. In order to drive in the U.S., you have to go to your local Department of Motor Vehicles first, and take a written test to get your learner's permit. If you pass this test, you can practice driving so you can pass a road test and get your license. The Department of Motor Vehicles has free booklets you can get to study for your learner's permit. You can also get the information online and even take a practice written exam. To prepare for the road test, you can have a friend teach you to drive or pay to take classes at a driving school. You cannot, however, practice driving by yourself. If you are caught driving with only a learner's permit, you can get into trouble with the law.

Once (一旦) you get your driver's license in one state, you can use it drive in all of the United States.

Wherever you drive, you will see signs posted along the road showing the speed limit. These numbers are not a suggestion. Generally you can drive faster on a highway than on local streets. Local police use special equipment to discover your speed. If they discover you are speeding or driving over the speed limit, police can stop you and give you a ticket. You will have to pay a fine which may be more than $ 100. The lines painted on the road are not just to keep cars in their lanes. They send a message. For example, a double solid yellow line means that it is against the law to pass another car here.