The Pedestrians' Association estimates that one in three people risk life and limb by trying to cross roads where no adequate crossings are provided.

One in three people risk injury crossing roads without a green man

The association is attempting to identify the best and worst areas for pedestrian crossings.

And it hopes to persuade highways authorities to act on the potential dangers.

It has highlighted the road outside Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott's department of environment and transport as particularly dangerous.

The association says the road is regularly busy with fast-moving traffic in a one way system - causing a nightmare for people trying to cross.

Edinburgh and Birmingham have been picked out as cities where improvements have been made.

Pedestrians are being urged to identify dangerous roads across the UK.

The association's campaign is tied in with a new report which claims the government is doing little to deal with traffic congestion because of fears of offending motorists.

It has teamed up with the Council for the Protection of Rural England, Friends of the Earth, the Railway Development Society and Transport 2000, to produce a report called Getting Out of Neutral.

The report said losers in the transport stakes were businesses, children, victims of road crashes, rural and urban communities and motorists themselves.

Parking tax

The organisations propose "quick wins" - practical measures the Government or councils could take to get transport moving again - and "big hits" - longer term commitments.

The quick wins include a national public transport, information and bookings service and a national public transport card, valid on all public transport.

Bus lanes, a 20mph speed limit in cities, towns and villages, further curbs on out-of-town developments and a parking tax on them, with less stressful motoring, would all help.

Big hits would include rail lines or rail-bus links to all settlements of more than 20,000 people and getting more freight onto railways.