GB2085734A - Road safety game - Google Patents

Abstract

Apparatus for playing a game comprises a board having marked thereon paths intersecting at a plurality of positions. At least one portion of the board is marked so that the position of a random score selector thrown onto the board can be related to a question in the form of a test of knowledge of the Highway Code. Cards may also be provided carrying further questions. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Game This invention relates to games and in particularto games involving the use of a board on which playing pieces are positioned and moved according to the throw of dice or other random score selectors.

According to a first aspect of the present invention there is provided apparatus for playing a game comprising a board orthe like having marked thereon at least one path of the first kind and at least one path of the second kind, a path of the first kind being divided into a plurality of spaced-apart portions, each portion being for receiving a counter or other playing piece, and a path of the second kind being likewise divided into a plurality of portions and intersecting a respective path of the first kind at a plurality of positions along said path of the first kind, the apparatus further including a plurality of playing pieces.

Preferably the board is provided with at least one area marked so that the position of a playing piece thrown onto the board can be related to a question in the form of a test of knowledge or some other item of information or instruction presented on the board or separately from the board.

According to a second aspect of the present invention there is provided apparatus for playing a game comprising a board or the like, at least a portion of the board being marked so that the position of the random score selector or other playing piece thrown onto the board can be related to a question in the form of a test of knowledge or some other item of information or instruction either presented on the board or separately from the board.

Preferably the board has marked thereon at least one path of the first kind and at least one path of the second kind, a path ofthefirst kind being divided into a plurality of spaced-apart portions, each portion being for receiving a counter or other playingpiece, and a path of the second kind being likewise divided into a plurality of portions and intersecting a respective path of the first kind at a plurality of positions along said path ofthe first kind.

Preferably clues to the answers of the questions are provided, for instance, by presenting the initial letters of the words forming the answer to the question and/or some form of mnemonic symbols representing objects the first letter of which is also the first letter of a word forming part of the answer, for instance, hieroglyphics.

An embodiment of the present invention will now be described by way of example only, and with reference to the accompanying drawing, which is a top plan view of a board forming part of the apparatus in accordance with the invention.

The game can be played bytwo orfour persons or even by a single person carrying out the functions otherwise carried by competing players.

The main, central portion of the board includes four substantially rectangular areas each of which accommodates two paths, a so-called path of the first kind and a so-called path of the second kind.

Each path of the first kind is in the form of letters of the alphabet running from Ato Z and for each path the letters are presented on a background of a particular colour so that each substantially rectangular area is characterised by a particular colour, the colours being red, green, blue and yellow.

Each path of the second kind is likewise divided into portions but in this case the portions are characterised by numbers rather than letters ofthe alphabet and each path runs from number 1 to number 25. It can be seen that each path of the second kind intersects its respective path of the first kind at five positions, for instance, the path of the first kind is intersected between portions D and E by the path of the second kind at positions 6 and 7. As shown on the drawing, the intersection is represented by a stylised "zebra crossing".

The main central portion of the board is also occupied by a design which includes shaded portions within a large circle, the shaded portions being separated from each other by unshaded portions.

The centre of the board is occupied by a square which is at least partly occupied by part circular areas bearing the working "CHALLENGE".

The design as a whole has a degree of symmetry which is four fold in that it repeats itself, apart from the colours, in each of the four quarters of the main central portion of the board.

The four peripheral portions of the board, surrounding the above-described main central portion, are all similar. Each peripheral portion includes a central area divided into seven rows each row having twenty-five columns. Considering the rows in turn, starting with the innermost row:1. This row contains the letters Ato Z, omitting I, these letters being upside down for the player sit ting at the peripheral portion in question; 2. This row contains the letters A to Z, omitting I, the letters being the right way up for the player sitting at this peripheral portion; 3. This row contains twenty-five traffic signs; 4. This row contains diagrams of symbols of com mon objects such as wheels, clocks and ham mers. For any particular column the first letters of the names of the objects are the first letters of the meaning of the traffic sign in that column; 5.This row contains letters, there being a plurality of letters for each column. The letters are the first letters of the words of the meaning of the traffic sign in that column; 6. This row contains the numbers 1 to 25; 7. This row contains traffic signs, together with their meanings, which correspond to the traffic signs in row 3 on the opposite side of the board.

To the left of the above-described outer peripheral portion is a KEY which relates to the diagrams or symbols which are shown in the fourth row of the peripheral portion to the first letters of the words describing these symbols or diagrams.

Starting at the top of the board as shown in the accompanying drawing, the outermost row has the following traffic signs, together with their meanings, reading from left to right in the view shown in the accompanying drawing: Change to opposite carriageway (may be reversed); Roadworks; A sign reading single track road, indicating that the road is wide enough for only one line of traffic; Sign reading patrol, meaning that a school cros sing patrol is ahead (some signs have amber lights which flash when patrol is operating); Pedestrian crossing; Traffic signals; Uneven road; Hump bridge; A sign reading single file traffic, meaning single file in each direction; A warning sign bearing images of children, beneath which is a sign reading school, meaning children going to or from school; Steep hill upwards with a gradient of 20%;; Steep hill downwards with a gradient of 10%; Dual carriageway ends; Road narrows on both sides; Road narrows on right (left is symbol reversed); Traffic merges from right; Traffic merges from left; Two-way traffic crosses one-way road; Two-way traffic straight ahead; Slippery road; Double bend first to left (may be reversed); Bend to right (or left is symbol reversed); Sharp deviation of route to left (or right is chev rons reversed); Sign reading reduce speed now with the legend plate below some signs; Side road to the right.

The third row in from the periphery of the board from left to right at the top of the board as viewed in the accompanying drawing has the following combination of letters: RCSAJ OATJJNOBB; SOM; DOWHE; LFAOSAN; FOFFR; DTH; ODPINOD; HC; WHOP; WA; C; OECPIMHOVWCPS; SORB; OB; AWOHI; HLEGLB; CDMACLCEBROTTDFTFWSTTC; LOLCWBOG; LCWBOGA; PTIALCEWABAFL; WWS; LC; RHLCSMBV.

The fourth row in from the periphery of the board has the following symbols in each row: A rake, a clock, a sun, an anchor and a pot of jam; An octagon, an anchor, a tap, a pot of jam, a pot of jam, a nut, an octagon, a bell and a bell; A sun, an octagon, and a crescent moon; A door, an octagon, a wheel, a hammer and an eye; A ladder, a fish, an anchor, an octagon, a sun, an anchor, and a nut; A fish, an octagon, a fish, a rake; A door, a tap, a hammer; An octagon, a door, a plate, an igloo, a nut, an octagon, a door; A hammer, a clock; A wheel, a hammer, an octagon, a plate; A wheel, an anchor; A clock; An octagon, an eye, a clock, a plate, an igloo, a moon, a hammer, an octagon, a vase, a wheel, a clock, a plate, a sun; Aquestion-mark, an octagon, a rake, a bell; An octagon, a bell; An anchor, a wheel, an octagon, a hammer and an igloo;; An hammer, a ladder, an eye, a gate, a ladder, a bell; A clock, a door, a moon, an anchor, a clock, a lad der, a clock, an eye, a bell, a rake, an octagon, a tap, a tap, a door, a fish, a tap, a fish, a wheel, a sun, a tap, a tap, a clock; A ladder, an octagon, a ladder, a clock, a wheel, A bell, an octagon, a gate, a ladder, a clock, a wheel, a bell, an octagon, a gate, an anchor; A ladder, a clock, a wheel, a bell, an octagon, a gate, an anchor; A plate, a tap, an igloo, an anchor, a ladder, a clock, an eye, a wheel, an anchor, a bell, an anchor, a fish, a ladder; Awheel, a wheel, a sun; A ladder, a clock; A rake, a hammer, a ladder, a clock, a sun, a moon, a bell, a vase.

The fifth row in from the upper peripheral edge of the board as seen in the accompanying drawing comprises the following symbols reading from left to right: A motorway route confirmatory sign after a junc tion reading "M1 The North Sheffield 32, Leeds 59"; On approaches to junctions on a motorway (Junc- tion No. on black background) reading "The North Sheffield Leeds straight on, Nottingham A52 to the left"; A start of the motorway M23; A sign reading "For 2 miles" meaning the distance over which a hazard extends; A sign indicating low flying aircraft or sudden air craft noises; A sign indicating falling or fallen rocks; A sign reading "1 mile" meaning the distance to a hazard; ; Atriangularsign bearing an exclamation mark beneath which is a sign reading fallen tree mean ing other danger. Plate indicates the nature of danger; Asign indicating horses crossing; A sign indicating wild horses or ponies; A sign indicating wild animals; A sign indicating cattle; A sign indicating overhead electric cable beneath which is a plate indicating the maximum height of vehicles which can pass safely, reading safe height 16'6"; A sign indicating a quayside or river bank; A sign indicating an opening bridge; A sign indicating available width of headroom indicated reading 14' 6"; A sign indicating a height limit of 14' 6" (e.g. a low bridge); Three countdown markers approaching concealed level crossing (each bar represents a third of the distance from the first warning sign to the cros sing);; A sign indicating the location of a level crossing without barrier or gate; A sign indicating a level crossing without barrier or gate ahead; A sign indicating a level crossing with barrier or gate ahead; A sign reading "Automatic barriers stop when lights show" meaning a plate to indicate a level crossing equipped with automatic barriers and flashing lights; A sign reading "Ford", described as a worded warning sign; A sign indicating loose chippings; A sign indicating that the right-hand lane of three lanes is closed (symbols may be varied).

Referring now to the peripheral portion of the board at the lower end of the board as seen in the accompanying drawings, the outermost row, reading from left to right, contains the same symbols as those in the fifth row in from the periphery at the top of the board, but in reversed order and with the meanings of the signs included.

The third row in from the lower periphery of the board contains the following sets of letters: SR; PBSS; SDORTLORICR; BTROLISR; DDFTLMBR; SR; TWTSA; TWTCOWR; TM FL; TMFR; RNORLISR; RNOBS; DCE; SHD; SHU; CGTOFS; SFIED; HB; UR; TS; PC; SCPASSHALWFWPIO; PWEFOOLOT; RW; CTOCMBR.

The symbols appearing in the fourth row in from the lower periphery of the board reading from left to right are: A sun, a rake; A plate, a bell, a sun, a sun; A sun, a door, an octagon, a rake, a tap, a ladder, an octagon, a rake, and an igloo, a clock, a rake; A bell, a tap, a rake, an octagon, an igloo, a sun, a rake; A door, a bell, a fish, a tap, a ladder, a moon, a bell, a rake; A sun, a rake; Atap, a wheel, a tap, a sun, an anchor; Atap, a wheel, a tap, a clock, an octagon, a wheel, a rake; A tap, a moon, a fish, a ladder; Atap, a moon, a fish, a rake; A rake, a nut, an octagon, a rake, a ladder, an igloo, a sun, a rake; A rake, a nut, an octagon, a bell, a sun; A door, a clock, an eye; A sun, a hammer, a door; A sun, a hammer, an umbrella; A clock, A gate, a tap, an octagon, a fish, a sun;; A sun, a fish, an igloo, an eye, a door; A hammer, a bell, an umbrella, a rake; Atap, a sun; A plate, a clock; A sun, a clock, a plate, an anchor, a sun, a sun, a hammer, an anchor, a ladder, a wheel, a fish, a wheel, a plate, an ingloo, an octagon; A rake, a wheel, an eye, a fish, an octagon, an octagon, a ladder, an octagon, a tap; A rake; a wheel; A clock, a tap, an octagon, a clock, a moon, a bell, a rake.

The road signs appearing in the fifth row in from the lower peripheral edge of the board as shown in the accompanying drawings comprise the same road signs as those appearing in the outer row at the top of the board, but in reverse order and without legends describing the meanings of the signs.

The peripheral portion of the board on the left of the board as viewed in the accompanying drawing has in its row nearest the edge of the board the signs and definitions from top to bottom as follows: Maximum speed 40 m.p.h.; National speed limit applies; Stop and give way; Give way to traffic on major road; School crossing patrol; Stop police; No entry for vehicular traffic; No right turn; No left turn; No U-turns; No overtaking; No vehicles; No motor vehicles; No motor vehicles except solo motorcycles, scooters or mopeds; Manually operated temporary "stop" sign; No vehicles with over twelve seats except regular scheduled school and works buses; No cycling; No pedestrians; No goods vehicles over unladen weight shown, i.e. 3 tons; No vehicles including load over weight shown, i.e.

10 tons; Axle weight limit, i.e. 2 tons; No vehicles over height shown, i.e. 14' 6"; No vehicle or combination of vehicles over the length shown, i.e. 32'; No vehicles over width shown, i.e. 7' 6"; No stopping (clearway).

On the third row in from the left hand edge of the board the following initials appear from top to bot tom:- GPTVFOD; NSDTSEFUTTMTSDOPUP; EOR; EFLUGATOSG; EFVWOTS; EFSASECSAWB; EFATPALATTRWTINAR; AO; TLARISR; TLRISR; KLRISR; VNPESTRSD; RTBUBPCO; MS; EOMS; MRRCGWTVFTIR; OWTCCAOS; WFBL; CFBL; DTSLA; CR; D.

TJ; SJ; DTGWLA.

In the fourth row in from the left hand edge of the board the following symbols appear corresponding to the letters in the third row, from top to bottom: Agate, a plate, a tap, a vase, a fish, an octagon, a door; A nut, a sun, a door, a tap, a sun, a eye, a fish, an umbrella, a tap, a tap, a moon, a tap, a sun, a door, an octagon, a plate, an umbrella, a plate; An eye, an octagon, a rake; An eye, a fish, a ladder, an umbrella, a gate, an anchor, an anchor, a tap, an octagon, a sun, a gate; An eye, a fish, a vase, a wheel, an octagon, a tap, a sun; An eye, a fish, a sun, an anchor, a sun, an eye, a clock, a sun, an anchor, a wheel, a bell; An eye, a fish, an anchor, a tap, a plate, an anchor, a ladder, an anchor, a tap, a tap, a rake, a wheel, a tap, an igloo, a nut, an anchor, a rake; An anchor, an octagon;; Atap, a ladder, an anchor, a rake, an igloo, a sun, a rake; Atap, a ladder, a rake, an igloo, a sun, a rake; A key, a ladder, a rake, an igloo, a sun, a rake; A vase, a moon, a plate, an eye, a sun, a tap, a rake, a sun, a door; A rake, a tap, a bell, an umbrella, a bell, a plate, an octagon; A moon, a sun; An eye, an octagon, a moon, a sun; A moon, a rake, a rake, a clock, a gate, a wheel, a tap, a vase, a fish, a tap, an igloo, a rake; An octagon, a wheel, a tap, a clock, a clock, an anchor, an octagon, a sun; A wheel, a fish, a clock, a ladder; A clock, a fish, a bell, a ladder; A door, a tap, a sun, a ladder, an anchor; A clock, a rake; A rake; Atap, a pot of jam; A sun, a pot of jam; A door, a tap, a gate, a wheel, a ladder, an anchor.

In the fifth row in from the periphery of the left hand side of the board the following road signs appear without their meanings: Give priority to vehicles from opposite direction; No stopping during times shown (i.e. 8 a.m. to 9.30 a.m. and 4.30 p.m. to 6.30 p.m. Monday to Friday) except for up to 2 minutes to set down or pick up passengers; End of restriction; Exception for loading/unloading goods and access to off-street garaging; Exception for vehicles with over 12 seats; Exception for stage and schedule express car riages, school and works buses; Exception for access to premises and land adja cent to the road where there is no alternative route; Ahead only; Turn left ahead (right if symbol reversed); Turn left (right if symbol reversed); Keep left (right if symbol reversed); Vehicles may pass on either side to reach same destination;; Route to be used by pedal cyclists; Minimum speed 30 mph; End of minimum speed; Mini roundabout (roundabout circulation - give way to vehicles from the immediate right); One way traffic; With flow bus lane; Contra flow bus lane; A sign reading "Stop 1 0yards" meaning the dis tance to the stop line ahead; Crossroads; Roundabout; Junction; Staggered junction; Sign reading "Give Way 50 yards" meaning dis tance to give way line ahead.

Referring again to the accompanying drawing, the peripheral portion on the right hand side of the board as seen in the drawing has from top to bottom the same symbols, together with meanings, appearing in the fifth row in from the edge of the board on the left hand side, but in reverse order.

The third row in from the right hand side of the board has the following letters from top to bottom: NSC; NVOWS; NVOCOVOLS; NVOHS; AWL; NVILOWSTWL; NGVOUWSUWL; NP; NC; NVWOTSERSSAWB; MOTSS; NNVESMSOM; NO; NUT; NLT; NRT; NEST; A blank; SCP; GWTTOMR; SAGW; NSLA; MS.

The fourth row in from the right hand edge of the board has the following symbols corresponding to the letters appearing in the third row: A nut, a sun, a clock; A nut, a vase, an octagon, a wheel, a sun; A nut; a vase, an octagon, a clock, an octagon, a vase, an octagon, a ladder, a sun; A nut, a vase, an octagon, a hammer, a sun; An anchor, a wheel, a ladder; A nut, a vase, an igloo, a ladder, an octagon, a wheel, a sun, a tap, a wheel, a ladder; A nut, a gate, a vase, an octagon, an umbrella, a wheel, a sun, an umbrella, a wheel, a ladder; A nut, a plate; A nut, a clock; A nut, a vase, a wheel, an octagon, a tap, a sun, an eye, a rake, a sun, a sun, an anchor, a wheel, a bell; A moon, an octagon, a tap, a sun, a sun; A nut, a moon, a vase, an eye, a sun, a moon, a sun, an octagon, a moon; A nut, a moon, a vase; A nut, a vase;; A nut, an octagon; A nut, an umbrella, a tap; A nut, a ladder, a tap; A nut, a rake, a tap; A nut, an eye, a fish, a vase, a tap; A blank; A sun, a clock, a plate; A gate, a wheel, a tap, a tap, an octagon, a moon, a rake; A sun, an anchor, a gate, a wheel; A nut, a sun, a ladder, an anchor; A moon, a sun.

In the fifth row from the right hand edge of the board the roadsigns appearing from top to bottom are those in the outer row nearest the left hand edge of the board, but in reverse order and without the definitions of the roadsigns.

In each corner of the board is a key associating each letter of the alphabet with a symbol. The key is in the form of a grid of five rows and five columns with an additional box added at the lower left hand corner. From left to right down the key the letters of the alphabet appear. Associated with each letter is its corresponding symbol. These are: A - an anchor; B -a bell; C -a clock; D -a door; E - an eye; F -afish; G -agate; H -a hammer; I -an igloo; J -apotofjam; K -a key; L ladder; M -a moon; N -a nut; O -an octagon; P plate; Q -a?; R -a rake; S -a sun; T -atap; U -an umbrella; V -a vase; W - a wheel; X -anX; Y -a yacht; Z -aZ.

The roadsigns and thelr associated definitions are those given in the Highway Code.

These outer peripheral portions enable the players to test each other as to the meanings of column traffic signs and for each player rapidly to learn the meaning of road traffic signs through association of mnemonics, the mnenomics being in the form of both symbol mnenomics and letter mnenonics. As an example, the diagrams of a rake and a wheel and the letters both refer mnenonicallyto the road sign having the meaning "roadworks".

To play the game each player first of all has a colour allocated to him which is decided by lot. Each player has a letter track on which a miniature car, one of the playing pieces, travels and a numbered track, one of the numbered tracks which intersects an opponent's car track, along which he would use a further playing piece in the form of a model police man, the idea being that the policeman polices the opponent's car track.

Moves of the playing pieces are decided by the throw of a dice. A player can move his policeman along his numbered track according to the number shown on the thrown dice. When the policeman arrives at a zebra crossing the player places a so called ZERO disc on the crossing as a hazard. On the last of the five zebra crossings the player places a so-called ONE disc when it is traversed by the policeman. Nothing can impede a policeman's prog ress.

A player's car can only be moved along the car track once a SIX has been thrown on the dice. After a six has been thrown a player can move either his car or his policeman at will. However, the car cannot cross the hazards on the zebra crossings until either a SIX or a THREE is thrown. When a player's car successfully overcomes a hazard (by throwing a six or a three) the player collects the particular hazard.

When all the hazards have been collected (a total of seven) the player receives a score of ONE MILLION.

Should either track be completed and the game not be finished at that time, then the car or the police man, whichever the case may be, can proceed along the appropriate track for a second time.

When a dice is thrown onto the board and comes to rest thereon, its position on the board as denoted by the letters and numbers in the peripheral areas is noted. As an example, if the dice comes to rest opposite the middle set of letters, L to P, of the particular peripheral portion appropriate to that player, then the player has to answer whatever question or test of knowledge is represented between the letter N and the number 13 which is the centre column of the set in question. If subsequently the player throws his dice so that it comes to rest opposite or within the same setthen he has the opportunity to answer the question or test of knowledge posed by any of the other four letters of that set.When answering the question or test of knowledge the player must state out loud "I will answer L11". As an example, if the player finds that he is being tested with the highway code sign referred to above he must, to be successful, give the correct answer "No Through Road". It is importantthatthe answer is absolutely correct and word perfect. Should the correct answer be given then the player covers over the particular letter on the outer area with a PASS disc. If the player answers incorrectly the letter is covered with a FAIL TEST disc. Having done this and the car (or policeman) moved in accordance with the number on the dice, then it is the turn of the opponent to throw the dice. The game ends when answers to all twenty-five questions have been given.

To calculate the score of each player, the player adds together (1) the number of squares travelled by the car, (2) the number of squares travelled by the policeman, (3) one for every PASS achieved, and (4) one million if all hazards have been collected. The player with the highest score is the winner.

When the game has been played a number of times and all one hundred road signs, if the questions relate to road signs, have been learnt, so-called CENTRE CARDS may be introduced. The CENTRE CARDS consist of two packs of cards, one yellow and the other blue. These are located in the small central square of the board. Whenever a FIVE is thrown on the dice, then in addition to the procedure described above, a yellow centre card question may be attempted. Whenever a TWO is thrown a blue centre card question may be attempted. Whenever a TWO is thrown a blue centre card question may be attempted. A correct answer to a centre card question adds five points to the player's score and an incorrect answer adds five points to the opponent's score.

It will be appreciated from the above description of an embodiment of the present invention that the game is both an entertaining game and also a test of knowledge which may be a useful teaching aid, for instance, as an aid to learning the road traffic signs, a procedure which is otherwise rather dull.

The manner in which the above-described peripheral portions of the board are arranged pro vided a particularly useful way of memorising the information, in this particular case road traffic signs..

Thus there are one hundred road traffic signs in all covered by the game, twenty-five being shown down each side of the board. If one were to attempt to learn one hundred road traffic signs it would be extremely difficult. However, the game is such that the one hundred road traffic signs are divided into four groups of twenty-five, one group for each side of the board. Each group of twenty-five is then divided into five sets of five. Each set is associated with a particular key letter number combination, for instance, C3 or H8. The first stage in playing the game is to learn the road traffic sign associated with the key letter number combination of a particular set in accordance with the rules described above. This tends to fix in the participant's mind five key road traffic signs for each group.Subsequently the other road traffic signs of a particular set are tested and thus four more road traffic signs are associated with the road traffic sign of the key letter numbercombi- nation of the set. IN this way the participant finds it comparatively very easy to learn the road traffic signs by breaking the total number down into small sets and by associating them with the hieroglyphics and the initial letter combinations. It will be observed that the key letters of the sets are C, H, N, S, X, and this can be easily remembered, as a first step towards associating them with the road traffic signs by means of the following mnemonic: Challenge Jelps National Safety Xcellently.

Furthermore, at the end of the game it will be appreciated that the letters on the outer area of the board will each be covered either by a PASS or a FAIL TEST disc. Accordingly the player will be able to review those road signs which he did not know during the game and, as more games are played, he should, by a process of elimination, reduce, eventually to zero, the road signs of which he does not know the meaning. This process is much more effec tire than merely using a copy of The Highway Code and laboriously trying to learn each of the one hundred or so road signs in turn.

It should be appreciated that, as stated above, the game can be based on the learning of other forms of knowledge. As an example, it may be associated with safety rules for boats and ships.

Claims (10)

1. Apparatus for playing a game comprising a board orthe like, at least one portion ofthe board being marked so that the position of a random score selector or other playing piece thrown onto the board can be related to a question in the form of a test of knowledge or some other item of information or instruction either presented on the board or sepa ratelyfrom the board.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the board has marked thereon at least one path of a first kind and at least one path of a second kind, the or each path ofthefirst kind being divided into a plurality of spaced-apart portions, each portion being for receiving a counter or other playing piece, and a path of the second kind being likewise divided into a plurality of portions and intersecting a respective path of the first kind at a plurality of positions along said path of the first kind.

3. Apparatus for playing a game comprising a board having marked thereon at least one path of a first kind, and at least one path of a second kind, a path of the first kind being divided into a plurality of spaced-apart portions, each portion being for receiving a counter or other playing piece, and a path of the second kind being likewise divided into a plurality of portions and intersecting a respective path of the first kind at a plurality of positions along said path of the first kind, the apparatus further including a plurality of playing pieces.

4. Apparatus according to claim 3 wherein at least one area of the board is marked so that the position of a playing piece thrown onto the board can be related to a question in the form of a test of knowledge or some other item of information or instructions presented on the board or separately from the board.

5. Apparatus according to any one of claim 1, claim 2 or claim 4 wherein clues to the answers of the questions are provided.

6. Apparatus according to claim 5 wherein said clues comprise presenting the initial letters ofthe words forming the answer to the question and/or some form of mnemonic symbol representing objects, the first letter of the name of which is also the first letter of a word forming part of the answer.

7. Apparatus according to any of the preceding claims wherein the number of players is one, two or four.

8. Apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the game is related to the learning of safety rules for road, sea or air transport.

9. Apparatus for playing a game according to claim 1 or claim 3 and substantially as described herein.

10. Apparatus for playing a game according to claim 1 or claim 3 and substantially as described herein with reference to the accompanying drawings.