Panda crossing

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The panda crossing in the United Kingdom was an early attempt at a signal-controlled pedestrian road crossing. The introduction of such a system was desired, to replace the zebra crossing, which had warning signals (in the form of Belisha beacons) but no proper controlling signals. The first trial installations started in 1962. A complex system of flashing traffic lights was used to dictate when vehicles should stop, and pedestrians could cross safely. The system proved unwieldy, and was superseded by the pelican crossing, introduced in 1969.

The term panda crossing appears to be still in common use amongst older British citizens and is often used incorrectly to refer to a pelican crossing. It can be found used by journalists and even in official documents such as minutes of local councils and school governors' meetings.^{[citation needed]}