Waikato Herald
  • Waikato Herald home
  • Latest news
  • Sport
  • Business
  • Rural
  • Lifestyle
  • Lotto results

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • On The Up
  • Sport
  • Business
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
  • Lifestyle
  • Lotto results

Locations

  • Hamilton
  • Coromandel & Hauraki
  • Matamata & Piako
  • Cambridge
  • Te Awamutu
  • Tokoroa & South Waikato
  • Taupō & Tūrangi

Weather

  • Thames
  • Hamilton
  • Tokoroa
  • Taumarunui
  • Taupō

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Waikato News

What's the difference? Zebra crossing or courtesy crossing - who has the right of way?

By Peter Tiffany
Waikato Herald·
6 Apr, 2021 03:41 AM2 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

A courtesy crossing in Hamilton's London St. At courtesy crossings, drivers are not obligated to stop because they have the right of way. Photo / Supplied

A courtesy crossing in Hamilton's London St. At courtesy crossings, drivers are not obligated to stop because they have the right of way. Photo / Supplied

Do you know the difference between a courtesy crossing and a zebra crossing - and who has the right of way?

It seems many people do not, and the Hamilton City Council is working to educate the public in the interest of road safety.

At courtesy crossings, drivers are not obligated to stop because they have the right of way, but can choose to be polite and give way to pedestrians.

A simple gesture such as a wave or nod is a good indication from the driver to the pedestrian they will wait for them to cross, the council says.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Pedestrians have right-of-way only at a zebra crossing, meaning vehicles must stop to let pedestrians cross.

The council has launched an education campaign urging pedestrians and drivers to become more aware of the city's courtesy crossings.

Courtesy crossings are identified as a raised pedestrian platform built on top of the road.

Most courtesy crossings are red and have a brick-like pattern. They're designed to slow traffic and provide a designated safe place for pedestrians to cross.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

In the past five years, Hamilton pedestrians were involved in 222 crashes and incidents on city roads. Most were non-injury but unfortunately, there were 48 serious injuries and eight fatal incidents.

"It's important all road users know how to use courtesy crossings correctly to keep our community safe," says city transportation unit manager Jason Harrison.

Council staff will be out and about helping to educate people at courtesy crossings and pavement decals will be placed to identify these crossings throughout the city.

"Sometimes it may be a bit confusing on who gives way at courtesy crossings, so we hope this campaign will help raise awareness on how to use them correctly.

Discover more

NZTA red light: No funding likely for safer school corridor

25 Feb 01:05 AM

Hamilton City Council on a two-wheeled mission

09 Mar 06:07 PM

Street changes on trial in Cambridge

15 Mar 03:23 AM

Safety improvements coming for high-risk Waikato roads

03 Apr 07:14 PM

"We want our community to feel safe whether they're walking, biking, scootering or driving but to do so we all have an important role to play in understanding and following the road rules," says Harrison.

Save

    Share this article

Latest from Waikato News

Waikato Herald

'I heard it crash ... then someone scream': Neighbour recounts crash and attack on driver

Waikato Herald

Families of Waiuku crash victims ‘coming to terms with this life-altering event’

Waikato Herald

Police retrieve items from crash site at ‘roller coaster road’ where woman and two children died


Sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Waikato News

'I heard it crash ... then someone scream': Neighbour recounts crash and attack on driver
Waikato Herald

'I heard it crash ... then someone scream': Neighbour recounts crash and attack on driver

'I saw that some (people) were beating the driver up.'

16 Jul 12:59 AM
Families of Waiuku crash victims ‘coming to terms with this life-altering event’
Waikato Herald

Families of Waiuku crash victims ‘coming to terms with this life-altering event’

16 Jul 12:37 AM
Police retrieve items from crash site at ‘roller coaster road’ where woman and two children died
Waikato Herald

Police retrieve items from crash site at ‘roller coaster road’ where woman and two children died

15 Jul 10:44 PM


Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky
Sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

06 Jul 09:47 PM
NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • Waikato Herald e-edition
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • Waikato Herald
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP