The striped pedestrian crossing marked by broad white bands across the road is called a zebra crossing.
The name comes from the alternating light and dark appearance of the road markings, which resembles a zebra’s stripes. Zebra crossings are intended to make a pedestrian crossing point conspicuous to approaching drivers and pedestrians. In the United Kingdom, drivers must give way to pedestrians on the crossing and, under current rules, to pedestrians waiting to cross in relevant circumstances.
The design became associated with British road-safety development in the twentieth century. Its strong contrast makes the crossing visible from a distance, although visibility can be affected by darkness, weather, parked vehicles, or worn paint.
A zebra crossing is not the same as a pelican crossing, which uses pedestrian-operated signals, or a toucan crossing, which is designed for pedestrians and cyclists. The marking itself identifies the zebra type; signal equipment identifies other crossing types.