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Do you know the different types of pedestrian crossing?
The UK’s crossing conundrum
Ryan Barham
Last updated: 16/09/2025
Ryan Barham
Last updated: 16/09/2025
Whether you’re a pedestrian wanting to recreate The Beatles’ ‘Abbey Road’ cover or fed up of waiting for the green light to show, there’s no escaping pedestrian crossings.
A recent Tempcover survey revealed a gap in drivers’ knowledge of pedestrian crossings, with 29% unable to match the name of a zebra crossing to its description (A crossing where pedestrians have the right of way. Vehicles must stop when pedestrians are waiting or crossing, and it is not controlled by traffic lights.’) - possibly one of the most familiar sights on our roads.
In this post, we’ll look at the Highway Code’s rules for both pedestrians and drivers, clear up the confusion between puffins and pelicans and highlight the differences between the main types of crossing.
An integral part of road safety in the UK, there are six different types of pedestrian crossing to navigate.
They are controlled (crossings that use controls such as light signals to manage the flow of traffic and let pedestrians know when it is safe to cross) and uncontrolled (crossings with no traffic signals, where pedestrians must wait for a safe gap to cross the road).
Our survey of 2,000 drivers asked respondents to correctly identify the various pedestrian crossings and what they are used for. The results pointed to a knowledge gap with many drivers misidentifying crossings:
Inaccurate knowledge of how these crossings work could lead to hesitation, misjudgement, or failure to stop, which could pose risks to vulnerable road users.
You may be surprised and a little disappointed to hear a pelican crossing is not named after the bird. Instead of our feathered friend, it actually originates from the term PEdestrian LIght CONtrolled.
Although no longer being installed in the UK, existing pelican crossings are still a common sight to keep road users safe.
You must stop
Carry on driving if the crossing is clear
Drive
Stop and do not cross the road
Only cross if the road is clear and it is safe to do so
Cross the road
If you’re driving, you should give way to pedestrians already on the crossing. If the crossing is clear and the lights are flashing amber, you can drive over the crossing.
Again, not named after the bird but originating from Pedestrian User-Friendly Intelligent, the puffin crossing is slightly different to a pelican. It doesn’t flash amber for drivers or pedestrians and the signals are on the near-side of the road.
A puffin crossing has intelligent sensors that detect when a pedestrian has crossed the road, giving them enough time to cross over safely and saving drivers some valuable waiting time. The time it takes to change will depend on the needs of the pedestrian.
With its name originating from the fact that ‘two can cross’, a toucan crossing allows pedestrians and cyclists to cross over the road. You can tell if it’s a toucan crossing as there will be a green cycle symbol alongside the green man symbol.
It’s worth noting that cyclists can ride across toucans but must dismount at other crossings.
Horse riders need to cross the road, too. Pegasus, or equestrian crossings, appear where a bridleway crosses a road. They are often situated parallel to a pedestrian or toucan crossing and have a higher-mounted button so that the rider can reach.
Other crossings to watch out for include signal-controlled junctions, signalled crossings with central refuge islands (these will have a single crossing if it’s a straight line and staggered if the road crossings are in separate places), and parallel crossings (similar to zebra crossings but with an added cycle route).
Some crossings will provide a numerical countdown so pedestrians know how long they have to get over the road.
Named after the black and white stripes that resemble the distinctive animal, a zebra crossing is a marked section of road that allows pedestrians to cross safely. When approaching a zebra crossing, drivers should give way to pedestrians.
Pedestrians should only cross over the stripes, not the zigzag area. Drivers, in turn, should stop at the broken ‘give way’ line (normally around 1m ahead of the crossing) and should not queue over this.
Rule 19 of The Highway Code states pedestrians should: ‘Give traffic plenty of time to see you and to stop before you start to cross. Vehicles will need more time when the road is slippery. Wait until traffic has stopped from both directions or the road is clear before crossing.
Remember that traffic does not have to stop until someone has moved onto the crossing. Drivers and riders should give way to pedestrians waiting to cross and MUST give way to pedestrians on a zebra crossing. Keep looking both ways, and listening, in case a driver or rider has not seen you and attempts to overtake a vehicle that has stopped.’
Every zebra crossing is legally obliged to have two flashing amber beacons placed on either side. These black-and-white poles’ real name is Belisha beacons. They are named after Leslie Hore-Belisha, the Minister for Transport who introduced them in an effort to increase road safety in 1934.
School crossings provide safer journeys to and from school for children and parents every day. They are often overseen by a lollipop person, also known as school crossing patrol. The lollipop person will often wear a uniform, carry an official sign and are legally entitled to stop traffic in order to allow the schoolchildren to cross.
According to the London Museum, the first school crossing patrol officer was a caretaker called Mary Hunt, who was chosen by Bath City Council to help pupils cross the road. Following the end of World War II in 1945, these patrols were widely adopted in London before becoming officially recognised by the Metropolitan Police in 1952.
The 1953 School Crossing Patrol Act extended the idea nationally and the round lollipop was introduced in the 1960s. The yellow coat became the ‘official uniform’ in 1974.
The UK government’s provisional estimates for reported road casualties in 2024 are:
This shows how important it is to keep everyone safe on the road. This includes drivers, pedestrians, cyclists and horse riders. There are fines and points for dangerous driving but you shouldn’t drive just to avoid penalties.
The Highway Code is the definitive guide to staying safe on the road, containing:
You will have needed to be familiar with these rules to have passed both your theory test and practical driving test, but as they are updated and refreshed regularly it’s worth staying up to date. You can do this by keeping up to date with the Highway Code and taking online quizzes.
An update in 2022 directly referenced road crossings:
People crossing the road at junctions
When people are crossing or waiting to cross at a junction, other traffic should give way
If people have started crossing and traffic wants to turn into the road, the people crossing have priority and the traffic should give way
People driving, riding a motorcycle or cycling must give way to people on a zebra crossing and people walking and cycling on a parallel crossing
Yes, you will need to know the difference between the various crossings and how to stay safe while learning to drive. Knowledge of crossings is a core section of learning, the theory and practical test.
Whether driver or pedestrian, you should always be careful when approaching a crossing: look and check both ways before approaching and stay patient and alert
Do not park on a zig-zag line at a pedestrian crossing as this can result in a fine and points on your licence. The Sun states these fines typically range from £65 if paid quickly to £130, or £100 if issued by the police.
You also should not attempt to overtake any other queueing cars and keep a close eye on pedestrians who may try to cross the road away from the crossing while traffic is static.
Claire Wills-Mckissick, temporary car insurance expert at Tempcover, adds:
“Understanding the differences between crossings helps drivers make quicker, safer decisions, especially when driving in unfamiliar areas. At Tempcover, we know that every journey, whether it’s a daily commute or a one-off trip, comes with its own challenges, and a stronger understanding of pedestrian crossings can make the roads safer for everyone.”
https://www.ladbible.com/news/puffin-pelican-crossing-name-meaning-birds-20220923
https://www.rac.co.uk/drive/advice/learning-to-drive/road-crossings/
https://theorytest.org.uk/pedestrian-crossings/
https://prod-cms.scouts.org.uk/media/2620/rac-pedestrians-crossing-leaders-notes-final.pdf
https://www.highwaycodeuk.co.uk/pedestrian-crossings.html
https://www.highwaycodeuk.co.uk/rules-for-pedestrians-crossings.html
