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Types of road crossings

Zebra Crossing's distinguishing feature is alternating dark and light stripes on the road surface. The similarity of these markings to those of a zebra give the crossing's name.  A zebra crossing typically gives extra rights of way to pedestrians.

A Pelican Crossing is a type of pedestrian crossing featuring a pair of poles each with a standard set of traffic lights facing oncoming traffic, a push button and two illuminated, coloured pictograms facing the pedestrian from across the road - a red, stationary person to indicate that it is not safe to cross, and a green, walking person to indicate that it is safe to do so. The name is derived from PELICON, a portmanteau of pedestrian light controlled.

Puffin crossings are electronically controlled. Sensor sensure that the red light shows until the pedestrianhas safely crossed the road. These crossings don’t have a fashing amber light; they have a steady amberlight, like normal traffic lights. Its name is an abreviation of pedestrian user-friendly intelligent crossing.

A toucan crossing is a type of pedestrian crossing that also allows bicycles to be ridden across. Since two-can, both pedestrians and cyclists, cross together, the name toucan was chosen. Toucan crossings are normally 4 metres (13 feet) wide, instead of the 2.8-metre (9 feet) width of a pelican crossing or puffin crossing.

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