The United Kingdom introduced the first pedestrian crossings with flashing Belisha beacons in 1934.
A Belisha beacon is an amber flashing lamp mounted on a black-and-white striped pole. The British system used these beacons to make pedestrian crossing points more visible, especially at night and in busy urban streets. The name comes from Leslie Hore-Belisha, who was Britain’s Minister of Transport when the crossings were introduced.
The 1934 introduction formed part of a wider effort to improve pedestrian safety as motor traffic increased. The beacon itself is not a traffic signal that gives vehicles a green or red phase. Instead, it identifies a crossing where drivers must obey the associated pedestrian-priority rules.
Belisha beacons remain strongly associated with British road design, although later crossings may use signal controls, illuminated studs, or other equipment. The striped poles and flashing amber lights are therefore a historical and continuing feature of the United Kingdom’s road-sign landscape, not a generic name for every pedestrian signal worldwide.