Council defends new breed of zebra crossing

When is a zebra crossing not a zebra crossing? When it is a rather groovy road marking that has appeared close to a Bristol school. In an effort to make the roads around a primary school and nursery safer for children, the city council has painted in three "zebra skin print" crossings. But the black and white markings are not official zebra crossings, leading to claims that motorists may be confused and lives could be put at risk.

The council says the aim is to improve the route between Whitehall primary and a nearby nursery. The local authority added dropped kerbs and three zebra skin markings to highlight the position of the crossings, which it judged to be the safest place to cross. The Association of British Drivers is not impressed. A spokesman, Hugh Bladon, said: "I can't understand what the highways people are playing at. The marking is very misleading and extremely dangerous. It has been painted where there is a dropped kerb which implies it is a pedestrian crossing. I think it has created an accident waiting to happen."


Photo from SWNS.

A resident, Patrick Lawrence, has similar misgivings, saying: "The 'pretend' crossing is sure to cause confusion for motorists and pedestrians. Neither motorist nor pedestrian will really understand what the road markings mean. "A pedestrian, possibly a child going to school, may think they have priority on the pretend zebra crossing, while at the same time a motorist may be aware that the markings in the road mean nothing at all and so ignore them." Geoff Trudgeon, who walks with his three-year-old son, Arthur, in the neighbourhood each morning, said: "I saw the crossing and wondered if it was the right place to cross."

Bristol city council defended the new scheme, claiming the "fun markings" would encourage young people to cross the road in the safest place. A council spokeswoman said: "Children's reaction to the crossings has been as the team expected – exactly as it is at any crossing. They stop, wait, look and listen for oncoming traffic. The unusual markings are having a very positive impact on drivers however, who are slowing and stopping around the school – certainly an improvement on previous behaviour. The message is that the road around the school is a child-friendly space and cars must take care."