Doing the Zebra

[steepholm]

Okay, I'm doing this mostly to see whether I can work out how to post a poll, but I am interested in the results, as it's a moral quandary that has stumped me for years...

[Poll #1808368]

Comments

[nixwilliams.livejournal.com]

By "with lights" do you include the ones with the flashing lights but not a red/green signal?

[steepholm.livejournal.com]

Sorry, no, the ones with flashing lights on poles are the zebras. Belisha beacons, we used to call them, after the Minister of Transport who brought zebras in (though I don't know if that's still in common use), are just there to alert drivers to the crossing's existence, rather than to control traffic. By 'with lights' I meant the ones that are coordinated with traffic lights, where you press a button and wait for the red figure to turn green.

[nixwilliams.livejournal.com]

Yeah, that's what I assumed, but I wanted to check the UK terminology!