Pedestrian crossings are wide white lines that go across a road (also known as zebra crossings). They indicate where pedestrians can cross the road safely, and vehicles are required to give way. 

There will often be signs indicating a crossing up ahead with give way white diamonds and a limit line to show where to stop. There are also black and white poles with flashing orange lights on either side of the crossing.

Some crossings have raised islands in the middle creating a safe space for pedestrians to wait or stop, especially when crossing wide two-way or multi-lane roads.

When approaching a pedestrian crossing, you must:

• Slow down and be ready to stop for any pedestrians waiting or about to cross.
• Wait until the pedestrian has crossed fully and is clear of your vehicle before moving forward.
• Keep the pedestrian crossing clear if you are in a queue of traffic – do not move over the pedestrian crossing if there is no room on the other side.
• Only stop for pedestrians on your side of the road, if there is a raised island in the middle of the crossing.

These pedestrian crossings can also be used by schools to provide a safe place for children to cross. This generally happens before and after school times and ‘School Patrol Stop’ signs will be in use. These signs swing out into the road to stop traffic and allow children to cross safely.

There are also pedestrian crossings at traffic lights. These are not marked with wide white lines and pedestrians can only cross when the pedestrian light is green. Drivers turning left at traffic lights may have to wait for pedestrians to cross fully before being able to turn.

Courtesy crossing are usually raised parts of the road that are made of bricks or paved. They provide a place for pedestrians to cross but are not official pedestrian crossings, and drivers do not need to stop and give way. When approaching courtesy island, drivers still must slow down, and can be courteous by stop for pedestrians waiting to cross.

There are also pedestrian refuge islands, which are raised islands in the centre of a road with a cut-through. This allows pedestrians to cross busy roads in two stages by having a safe space to wait and cross fully. Similar to courtesy islands, drivers do not need to stop and give way to pedestrians crossing, but must slow down when driving by those waiting to cross.

Some roads are designed to be used by pedestrians and vehicles. These can often be found in the city centre where lanes between buildings are also walkways for pedestrians.

There are usually signs indicating a shared zone and a speed limit. It is important that drivers slow down and are ready to stop for pedestrians in these areas. Pedestrians have right of way as long as they do not delay traffic.

Driveways are often used by drivers to enter or exit a place such as a house or shopping centre. If drivers are entering or exiting over a footpath, pedestrians have right of way over vehicles.

When exiting a driveway, or reversing in a driveway, make sure to drive slowly and check blindspots as there may pedestrians who appear suddenly.

When driving past parked cars or bus stops where a bus is pulled in, slow down and be ready to stop if necessary. The bus or parked vehicles can obstruct pedestrians who want to cross the road, and who may not have noticed a passing vehicle.