A Belisha beacon /bəˈliːʃə/ is an amber-coloured globe lamp atop a tall black and white pole, marking pedestrian crossings of roads in the United Kingdom, Ireland and in other countries (e.g., Hong Kong, Malta) historically influenced by Britain. It was named after Leslie Hore-Belisha (1893–1957), the Minister of Transport who in 1934 added beacons to pedestrian crossings, marked by large metal studs in the road surface. These crossings were later painted in black and white stripes, thus are known as zebra crossings. Legally pedestrians have the right of way (over wheeled traffic) on such crossings.
Belisha beacons provide additional visibility to zebra crossings for motorists, primarily at night. The flash commonly lasts one second in both on and off states. Some crossings are set so that each beacon flashes alternately to the other side, but they often fall out of synchronisation over time. Beacons with an outer ring of flashing amber LED lights, preferred for their brightness and low electricity consumption, are replacing traditional incandescent bulbs in many areas.
To be legally compliant, every zebra crossing must be equipped with two Belisha beacons (though, legally, only one has to be working). A particular problem exists at crossings where there is a central reservation. Since the presence of a reservation creates two zebra crossings there has to be total of four Belisha beacons. Some installations illegally feature only one Belisha beacon on the central reservation intended to serve both crossings. In fact, in this scenario, both crossings are non compliant with the regulations (since it cannot be determined which crossing the beacon belongs to) and consequently a single central beacon is a valid defence for a motorist charged with violation of the crossing regulations.
In recent years the number of zebra crossings and Belisha beacons has fallen in the northern counties of England, being replaced by pelican crossings or puffin crossings, with pedestrian-controlled traffic signals; a waiting pedestrian can stop vehicular traffic by pressing a button and waiting for the pedestrian signal of a red and green man to change to green. The green man can be accompanied by a green bicycle to indicate that the crossing is designated for pedestrians and cyclists, continuing the bird-name theme, this type of crossing is called a Toucan crossing, as in, 'two can' cross. Another variation is the pegasus crossing where the pedestrian is accompanied by a green horse to indicate that the crossing is designated for pedestrians and horses, for example, at Hyde Park Corner, London.
The first Belisha Beacon was erected in Wigan on the corner of Mesnes Street, and became operational on July 4, 1935.
The band Radiohead mention the Belisha Beacon in their song "My Iron Lung".
The band Fujiya & Miyagi mentions the Belisha Beacon in the lyrics of their song "Ankle Injuries".
The musician Funki Porcini has a song titled Belisha Beacon in his album "On".
In the Republic of Ireland, Belisha beacons are usually accompanied by much higher visibility dual flashing amber traffic lights on either side. Some zebra crossings have only these rather than Belisha beacons.
In New Zealand, the standard for pedestrian crossings specified in the Traffic Regulations requires such a device, or a yellow non-illuminated equivalent, atop a black and white pole at each side of the crossing.
Brisbane, Queensland Australia briefly had a small number of Belisha beacon marked crossings in the late 1960s and early 1970s, but the majority of Australian crossings are zebra crossings marked by large yellow circular signs bearing a walking legs symbol.
In Australia, recent years have seen a proliferation of various kinds of beacons and bollards, illuminated, reflective or otherwise designed for high visibility at pedestrian crossings, to which the name Belisha or "Bellisher" is occasionally erroneously applied. These high-visibility crossing markers are often placed on refuge islands in the middle of the road, in addition to or instead of at the roadside. Many of these new crossings are signposted that pedestrians must give way to traffic.
In the 1930s there was a popular card game based on road safety that was called 'Belisha'. It featured pictures of road scenes and a few notable places like Gretna Green and Robin Hood's Well. The gameplay was based on the game Rummy.