Pedestrian Crossings

This page assumes that "you" are the driver of a vehicle approaching the crossing.

There are currently five types of pedestrian crossing, these being the Zebra, Pelican, Puffin, Toucan and Equestrian (or Pegasus) crossings. There is also the Pedestrian Refuge, which is an island in the centre of the road, usually with Keep Left bollards and a white beacon. This is NOT a pedestrian crossing in the sense that you must stop for pedestrians to cross.

Zebra Crossing

The famous Abbey Road zebra crossing as seen on the Beatles CD

Zebra crossings are marked by:

flashing amber beacons
black and white painted stripes across the road
zigzag lines on the approaches
broken Give Way lines across the carriageway before the crossing

You MUST

in the ZigZag zone,
- NOT STOP, except for the crossing itself or queueing traffic, and
- NOT OVERTAKE the leading vehicle before passing over the crossing
GIVE WAY behind the dotted line when someone has moved onto a crossing (and you SHOULD do so when someone is waiting on the kerb to cross)
NOT PROCEED until all the pedestrians have finished crossing

If there is an island in the middle of the road with a third flashing beacon, this is legally two separate crossings. You need not stop for pedestrians on the other crossing from yourself.

Pelican Crossing

A pedestrian push button unit operates these. At most Pelican crossings there is a bleeper to tell the blind when the steady green man is lit.

The green man at a Pelican crossing

Button at a Pelican crossing

Pelican crossings are marked by:

red/amber/green traffic signals facing you
red man/green man signals on the opposite side of the road to the pedestrians waiting to cross
usually, zigzag lines on the approaches
a STOP line across the carriageway

The light sequence is:

You MUST stop; pedestrians may cross if it is safe

Road RED, crossing GREEN MAN
Road AMBER, crossing GREEN MAN FLASHING	Pedestrians should not start to cross; you may go when all the pedstrians have FINISHED crossing
Road GREEN, crossing RED MAN	You may go if it is safe; pedestrians should not cross (although it is not against the law to do so)
Road AMBER, crossing RED MAN	You MUST stop unless you are already too close to be able to do so safely; pedestrians should wait for the GREEN MAN before starting to cross.

Puffin Crossing

Button and lights together at a Puffin crossing

Puffin Crossings are different from Pelican crossings in not having a flashing green man/flashing amber signal. The crossing is still triggered by the push button unit but kerbside pedestrian detectors are fitted to cancel demands that are no longer required (when a person crosses before the green man lights) and to change the lights when the pedestrians have finished crossing.

Puffin crossings are marked by:

red/amber/green traffic signals facing you
red man/green man signals on the same side of the road as the pedestrians waiting to cross
sometimes, zigzag lines on the approaches
a STOP line across the carriageway

You must obey the ordinary sequence of traffic lights:

RED	You MUST STOP (pedestians see the GREEN MAN and cross)
RED and AMBER	You may prepare to depart
GREEN	You may go if it is safe
AMBER	You MUST STOP unless you are already too close to be able to do so safely

Toucan Crossing

This is a horrible pun - two-can. It may be used by pedestrians AND CYCLISTS - that is, cyclists may ride across. Pedestrians and cyclists see red and green bicycles as well as men.

Most of them are Puffin-style, but some are Pelican-style

Equestrian (Pegasus) Crossing

These crossings are similar to Toucan crossings but have a red/green horse symbol and higher mounted push buttons to allow horse riders to cross.

'Staggered' Pelican, Puffin and Toucan crossings

When the crossings on each side of a central island are not in line they are two separate crossings. Pedestrians should cross the road in two stages by pressing the push buttons for each crossing and waiting for the green man to light at each separate crossing.

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