LEPAS MARKS 75 YEARS OF THE ZEBRA CROSSING
The first zebra was installed on Slough High Street on 31 October 1951 to improve road safety in the face of post-war traffic increases.
After much research, trial and error, a simple solution was born: distinctive black-and-white road markings, flanked by flashing Belisha beacons, designed to make pedestrian crossings clearer and more visible.
A zebra crossing is an unsignalised pedestrian crossing, identified in the UK by its distinctive black-and-white road markings, flashing amber Belisha beacons and zig-zag approach markings.
Under the Highway Code, drivers, motorcyclists and cyclists must give way to pedestrians already on the crossing and should give way to those waiting to cross.
The simple road safety innovation that has featured on the roads of the UK for 75 years is today combined with a suite of advanced safety technology on modern day cars.
For example, Autonomous Emergency Braking (AEB) is a feature that can be found on new cars and is fitted as standard across the LEPAS range.
The system can automatically apply the brakes to help avoid or mitigate a potential forward collision, which is aided by other advanced safety technology such as LEPAS’ front-distance monitoring and emergency lane keeping, ensuring the vehicle remains within its lane.
Modern day parking sensors and a 540° camera system, such as seen on the L8, give the driver a clearer view of the vehicle’s immediate surroundings at low speeds, helping raise awareness of pedestrians and cyclists nearby.
Today, variations on zebra crossings can be found across Europe, Asia, the Americas, Africa and Australasia. Since its conception, the zebra crossing has gone on to make a major impact around the world, helping to create safer streets and even entering popular culture.
Ray Wang, Managing Director of LEPAS UK, said: “While at LEPAS we take design inspiration from the Leopard, we are delighted to be celebrating the 75th anniversary of the Zebra. The zebra crossing is an extraordinary example of British design: a simple, beautiful and instantly recognisable innovation that makes everyday life safer. That is a principle we apply to modern mobility, combining timeless design with the quiet assurance of our safety technology that makes every journey safer, easier and more enjoyable.”
To celebrate the history of the zebra crossing, LEPAS has compiled 10 things you may not know about one of Britain's most enduring road-safety inventions:
1. It began in Slough. The world's first official permanent zebra crossing appeared on Slough High Street on 31 October 1951, after around 1,000 experimental striped crossings were tested across the UK in 1949.
2. It was designed to be seen. The familiar black-and-white stripes were chosen after blue-and-yellow and red-and-white trials because they were judged the most conspicuous; broad contrasting markings also improved visibility compared with earlier metal studs.
3. The beacons came first. Flashing amber Belisha beacons were introduced in 1934 and are named after the Minister of Transport, Leslie Hore-Belisha. The first Belisha beacons were erected in London in 1934, with the very first beacons were placed on Kensington Road on the southern edge of Hyde Park.
4. Born from British research. The design emerged from the Road Research Laboratory, the forerunner to today's Transport Research Laboratory who reported a seven per cent fall in pedestrian casualties in the first year after zebra crossings were introduced.
5. Abbey Road made the zebra a pop-culture superstar. The crossing outside Abbey Road Studios featured on the cover of The Beatles' 1969 album of the same name and remains a working part of London's road network.
6. The name has a political connection. The 'zebra' nickname is widely attributed to James Callaghan, then an MP and later Prime Minister, though never conclusively proved.
7. A new crossing was established only this year. In September 2026, Cheshire West and Chester Council unveiled a TRIXIE crossing, a signal-controlled crossing with dedicated crossing points for pedestrians, cyclists and horse riders.
8. The smallest zebra crossing is less than 3.5 metres. Located in Raunds, Northamptonshire, this zebra crossing is thought to be the smallest in the UK, measuring just under 3.5 metres.
9. Shibuya is the busiest zebra-style crossing in the world. At peak times, an estimated 1,000 to 2,500 people cross the Tokyo junction every two minutes.
10. Britain’s crossings have a whole animal family. Alongside the Zebra are Pelican, Puffin, Toucan, Pegasus and Tiger crossings:
1. Pelican – derived from the name Pedestrian Light Controlled Crossing with a push-button for pedestrians
2. Puffin – an acronym for Pedestrian User-Friendly Intelligent, is a push-button crossing that uses smart sensors to detect when pedestrians are crossing or waiting to cross the road
3. Toucan – which sounds like TwoCan, where pedestrians and cyclists can share the crossing
4. Pegasus – an equestrian crossing for horse riders
5. Tiger (officially called Parallel crossing) – side-by-side lanes for cyclists and pedestrians