These zigzags are found on British roads and not in America – but they can actually save lives.
If you’ve ever driven in the UK, you’ve likely noticed that things are quite a bit different.
Leaving aside the whole ‘Driving on the left side of the road’ debate, there’s the matter of those zigzags on the road.
It’s not a mere British eccentricity – these lines actually help to keep people safe.
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There are a lot of mysteries in the world of cars.
Oftentimes, logos cause confusion – whether it be Audi’s, Toyota’s, or Bugatti’s.
Or sometimes it’s the flashing lights on the dashboard that generate the most speculation, with one in particular baffling people who have been driving for over 40 years.
But what about road markings?
Wikimedia Commons/WythenshaweMike
Some of them have definitely left people scratching their heads.
Not to mention road markings in foreign countries.
Case in point, the zigzag lines spotted on many roads in the United Kingdom.
Any visiting Americans will no doubt have wondered what they mean and what their purpose is.
It’s not a design choice, it’s actually a safety feature.
These zigzags appear just before a crosswalk.
In other words, this warns them to keep an eye out for any potential pedestrians crossing the road.
In an additional fun fact, the crossings in the UK are named after different animals.
Those quirky Brits, right?
You have the zebra crossing, which is fitting due to the white stripes on black asphalt.
Then you have the ‘pelican crossing’, which isn’t quite as obvious.
‘PEdestrian LIght CONtrolled’ lights are where the pedestrian pushes a button to activate the lights.
‘Pedestrian User Friendly INtelligent’ lights, where the lights are automated by sensors, are referred to as ‘puffin crossings’.
Wikimedia Commons/Lewis Clarke
‘Toucan crossings’ are where pedestrians and cyclists can both cross.
Get it?
‘Two can’ – ‘Toucan’?
Well, hopefully somebody is patting themselves on the back somewhere.
Another is the ‘panda crossing’, which was used between 1962 and 1967.
Wikimedia Commons/Alan Heardman
The panda crossing would go on to become the pelican crossing in 1969.
You could say it went extinct, but that might be a little insensitive to the plight of our bamboo-eating friends.
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