Questions and Answers for the UK drivers

What do the ZigZag lines at the crossing mean?

18/2/2014

The approach to, and exit from, a pedestrian crossing is marked with zigzag lines. It also means that you must not park on them or overtake the leading vehicle when approaching the crossing. Parking here would block the view for pedestrians and the approaching traffic.

36 Comments

Mike muir

9/9/2014 07:56:33 am

In hadlow road tonbridge which is part of the a26 there is a pelican crossing which is close to the junction of yardley park road
A bus stop has recently been sited on the zig zag lines of the crossing which I think contravenes two Highway Code regulations
Stopping on zig zag lines
Stopping close to a junction
Mike

bob link

4/6/2015 03:37:40 am

this website didn help and i dont know how to drive so i ran over a baby

28/3/2018 11:25:50 pm

Why was you driving ???

David

17/4/2017 05:43:04 pm

Hi just asking can a traffic warden give you 3 points and fine on parking zig zag white lines .

CallumW

23/4/2017 04:37:50 pm

@David.
I don't think traffic wardens can appoint points to your license, but the police will give you 6 points and a big fine for parking anywhere inside the zigzag area (even just a bumper over)

Snowball

22/3/2018 02:28:16 pm

Only if the wheels are over same as parking bay

Community officer

28/3/2018 11:27:46 pm

A Traffic warden has Traffic powers which cover zig zag lines so they can report you to court for the offence.

Lesley

28/3/2018 11:25:05 pm

Yes I’m a community officer you will be reported for the offence. And you would have to attend court.

Jane main

2/8/2018 04:47:17 pm

Hi I've just stopped for less than 1 min on a white zigzag line a lady came out and photographed my car. If she contacts the police can u be prosecuted. Thank you

D bailey

31/8/2018 09:09:06 pm

Hi hi, I was waiting on white zig zag lines today for about 1 minute to wait for a man to vacate a parking space so I could park, I am a disabled driver and these spaces are right outside the shops but in that 1 minute a traffic warden photographed my car & now I am really worried I have done something wrong, am I going to get into trouble?

Hello

6/6/2018 11:13:32 pm

Yes under 191 you can not overtake and park

Allen Borthwick

22/9/2018 09:52:22 pm

No but a policeman can

Shirine

26/4/2017 10:23:14 am

HI There,

Can you drive over zig zag lines? The website doesn't whether you can or can't. I would like to dispute a parking fine. I drove straight over the zig zag lines to get to a car park instead of turning left (no idea why it's left turn only - not common sense in my opinion!).

laurence Mendes

22/6/2017 02:05:41 pm

I was exhausted on holiday and stopped on white zigzags for 5 mins to buy chocolate. Police gave me £100 fine and 3 points or TTC whats driving us course (The course doesn't state cost until you book it. I'd left my hazards on as it was unsafe for me to drive due to tiredness. The zigzags went on for about 170ft, the crossing was visible way down the road. Can councils have zigzags at any length they like on a road even if far away from the crossing???

Zig Zag

17/8/2017 12:03:02 pm

The Zig-Zag lines are there for a reason - to allow pedestrians and motorists a clear view of the road/crossing. What if a child had been run over due to your selfish actions? I for one am glad you were caught and fined, hopefully you have learnt your lesson and nobody was hurt of killed.

frogman link

15/9/2017 02:24:16 am

there are two seperate issues here. You must not park on the crossing zigzags just to pop into a shop to buy chocolate, you deserve points and a fine for that.

You state "it was unsafe for me to drive due to tiredness" you should not drive (or park on zigzags!) if you are tired. The 'think.direct.gov.uk' states "If you start to feel sleepy, find a safe place to stop" which is basic common sense.

Would you have taken a driving test while feeling exhausted, then park on zebra crossing zigzags?

Terry

22/1/2018 06:15:24 pm

You became dangerously exhausted exactly at the zigzags?
You couldn't drive the whole distance of them because you were too tired?
How slow is your car for Gods' sake?

You'll have to find a much better excuse than that if you expect the police to give you leniency for your "emergency" chocolate shopping.

You stopped on the crossing illegally to buy a snack and got busted.
Stop doing that and stop blaming everyone else for your fine.

I'm not even going to ask what make of car you drive, but I'd guess it's something German.

nunya bizniss link

23/3/2018 01:02:31 pm

2.2.2 Approach side to crossing
a. On 30 mph streets
i. 8 zig-zag marks should be used
ii. the Mark Unit Length for each should be 2000mm
The number of marks and Mark Unit Length may be increased or decreased by level 1 departure. Safety grounds for doing so must demonstrated. Normally this will be by reference to potential problems identified in a Road Safety Audit (see section 2.2.1) and it being agreed that there is no alternative means of reasonably addressing these. Approving officers also have discretion to instruct an increased or decreased number of marks or Mark Unit Length on the same grounds by level 1 departure.

b. On 20mph streets
i. 4 zig-zag marks should be used
ii. the Mark Unit Length for each may be reduced from 2000mm to 1500mm if required
The number may be increased or decreased by level 1 departure. Safety grounds for doing so must be demonstrated. Normally this will be by reference to potential problems identified in a Road Safety Audit (see section 2.2.1) and it being agreed that there is no alternative means of reasonably addressing these. Approving officers also have discretion to instruct an increased number of marks on the same grounds by level 1 departure.
NOTE: The reduction as per ‘b’ from the statutory norm of 8 marks is on the grounds of the ‘character’ of the road given the lower speed limit. In addition it is considered that the provision of long extents of zig-zags can create a highway dominated character within roads - which may negatively influence road user behaviour. This is in direction opposition to the character within the road that the Highway Authority wishes to achieve in most instances wherein vehicle users are more accepting and courteous of pedestrians informally crossing roads owing to a reduction in the number of traffic signs that create the impression that this is the domain of vehicles only.

Horatio

10/8/2017 08:08:39 am

The zig zag lines are there to remind road tax dodging vermin cyclists that they shouldn't be on the road with us superior beings who pay to use the roads.

Ewan

12/1/2018 04:36:53 pm

1st road tax doesn't exist so you don't pay for the roads that way and 2nd, cyclist are part of traffic so you ain't superior to them.

Mark

22/1/2018 01:42:16 pm

Car users are taxed because CARS ARE HEAVY AND DAMAGE THE ROAD. Think about it, if you have the ability, then you may understand why cyclists aren't taxed. Also, many cyclists also own cars, although your feeble mind seems unable to understand this.

wayne

12/12/2017 07:05:02 pm

does anyone know if you can lane change on a zig zag,

yes link

10/1/2018 06:49:17 pm

yes

no link

10/1/2018 06:49:49 pm

Lisa

15/3/2018 09:38:16 am

Can you turn in the road at a yellow zig zag?

Ian g link

30/4/2018 08:21:13 am

Can a cyclist undertake on zig zags on a crossing?

Hello

6/6/2018 11:14:50 pm

No it’s is under 191

Pete

29/8/2018 09:37:54 pm

I stopped to pick a friend up outside one night outside a train station, it was jagged white lines but there was nowhere else to stop anywhere near by. It was 2.30am in the morning, virtually nobody around, hardly any others cars anywhere. Wouldn't have dreamed of stopping there if it was during the day and the station had been open. Just so happens that as my passenger got into the car a police car pulled up behind and he gave me a proper bollocking, actually used the word idiot, and told me to get odd the lines immediately.

Big Dom

28/9/2018 10:18:23 am

Can’t argue with the Police there spot on

Pay Your ahem non-existent Road Tax

29/9/2018 07:27:48 am

Good to see the police enforcing the law. Was your friend incapable of walking a few extra yards? Did you have your hazard lights on? That makes everything legal you know.

Allen Borthwick link

22/9/2018 10:06:40 pm

Apparently it's perfectly legal for the police to park on zigzags...the only condition is that they are on police business .

Cliff Short

24/10/2018 12:55:50 pm

Allen, I think you will find that ,if an officer parks or waits on zig zag lines, he is braking his duty as a police officer, to uphold the law, it would be common sense not to obscure a crossing.

John

9/1/2019 02:22:23 pm

Question (only to be answered by those that KNOW the answer for fact).

Is it an offence to park on the footpath next to the zig zags, vehicle fully on the pavement.

I’ve looked on the net, can’t find a definitive answer

Derek Wiblin

5/4/2019 09:52:21 am

It is illegal to park on the pavement.

John Smith

8/5/2019 11:29:37 pm

I had to stop on white zig zag lines today to let a ambulance past is this ok ?

Nick

9/5/2019 02:35:52 pm

It's not okay legally but it is okay in the same way that it would be okay for the ambulance that you let through to go straight through the pedestrian crossing so long as it had blues and twos going.

If they did intend to prosecute you for stopping to let an emergency vehicle through you would have a pretty strong defence I would say, especially if you immediately got going again once the way was clear.

What do the ZigZag lines at the crossing mean?

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