Zebra crossings are marked by black and white painted strips across the road and flashing amber globes called 'belisha beacons'.
The Highway Code says that when a pedestrian moves onto the zebra crossing, approaching drivers MUST stop and should only start again once all of the pedestrians have left the crossing.
However, pedestrians should remain on the kerbside for safety's sake until approaching vehicles have stopped.
Zebra crossings are cheaper to build than traffic signal crossings although their use on roads where traffic speeds are higher than 35mph is not recommended by the Department for Transport.