Zigzag lines: what they mean

Zigzag lines diagram: a zebra crossing with white zigzag lines along both edges and the centre of the road on each side
Image: Crown copyright, OGL

White zigzag lines at a crossing mean you must not park there and must not overtake the vehicle nearest the crossing. Yellow zigzags outside schools show where you should not stop.

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What it means

Rule 191: you must not park on a crossing or in the area covered by the zigzag lines, and you must not overtake the moving vehicle nearest the crossing or the vehicle nearest the crossing that has stopped to give way to pedestrians. Know your traffic signs explains why: the markings help drivers and pedestrians see each other clearly.

Yellow zigzags outside schools, hospitals and fire, police or ambulance stations mark the length of road where you should not stop, not even to pick up or set down passengers. Where there is also an upright sign, stopping is banned during the times shown (Know your traffic signs).

Where you see it

On both sides of zebra, parallel and signal-controlled crossings. Yellow ones are painted outside schools and some emergency service entrances.

A common mistake

Stopping on white zigzags for a quick drop-off. Rule 240 says you must not stop or park on a pedestrian crossing, including the area marked by the zigzag lines.

Quick quiz

A car has stopped at a zebra crossing to let people cross. May you overtake it?

  1. Yes, if you can see clearly
  2. No
  3. Only on the left
Show answer

B. No. Rule 191: you must not overtake the vehicle nearest the crossing that has stopped to give way to pedestrians. Source: The Highway Code, rule 191, GOV.UK; The Highway Code, rule 240, GOV.UK; Know your traffic signs: pedestrian, cycle and equestrian crossings, GOV.UK; Know your traffic signs: on-street parking control signs and road markings, GOV.UK; The Highway Code: road markings, GOV.UK

Compare with

Next in road markings: Yellow lines. See all road markings or the full road signs list.

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Sources

  1. The Highway Code, rule 191, GOV.UK
  2. The Highway Code, rule 240, GOV.UK
  3. Know your traffic signs: pedestrian, cycle and equestrian crossings, GOV.UK
  4. Know your traffic signs: on-street parking control signs and road markings, GOV.UK
  5. The Highway Code: road markings, GOV.UK

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Traffic sign images are Crown copyright, from the Department for Transport. Sources and image credits.