Every day, thousands of Australians step onto a crossing and trust that drivers will stop for them. But that trust is being tested more each year. In the 12 months to July 2025, 205 pedestrians were killed on Australian roads, and pedestrian deaths have climbed by almost half since 2021.
Choosing the right crossing for a given location is one of the most direct ways your council or project can protect people on foot. This guide explains the main types of pedestrian crossings in Australia, how each one works and where it performs best. It also looks at why more councils and contractors are turning to recycled rubber crossings that install in hours instead of days.
Why the Right Pedestrian Crossing Matters
Pedestrians are among the most vulnerable people on the road. A person on foot has no crumple zone, airbag or seatbelt, so the design of the crossing itself does much of the safety work.
Nationally, the numbers are getting worse. Road deaths have reached their highest level in more than a decade, and pedestrian fatalities are rising faster than most other categories of road user.
Most of these deaths happen in built-up urban areas, often near intersections and during the low-light hours of dawn and dusk, which are exactly the conditions where a well-designed crossing makes the biggest difference.
Australia’s National Road Safety Strategy aims to halve road deaths by 2030, which puts real pressure on councils to deliver safe, compliant crossings quickly and within budget.
Traditional concrete and asphalt crossings can make that harder than it needs to be. Building a raised concrete crossing usually means excavation, formwork, curing time and lane closures, so a single site can be disrupted for days. Once poured, the crossing is fixed in place, and adjusting the layout later means demolition and rework.
There is an environmental cost as well. Cement and concrete production is carbon intensive, and every poured crossing adds to that footprint. For councils juggling safety targets, tight budgets and sustainability commitments, that combination is a genuine challenge.
Whatever you build, the crossing must meet the rules. In Australia, pedestrian crossings are governed by AS 1742.10 (Pedestrian control and protection), supported by the Austroads Guide to Traffic Management and each state’s own supplements. These documents set out the signs, markings and the criteria (known as ‘warrants’) that make a crossing legal and effective.
Types of Pedestrian Crossings in Australia
No single treatment suits every site. Vehicle speed, traffic volume, pedestrian numbers and nearby land use, such as schools or shops, all shape the right choice. Get the match right and drivers notice and respect the crossing; get it wrong and they don’t. Below are the main crossing types you will specify and see on Australian roads.
Zebra Crossings
A zebra crossing is the familiar flat crossing marked with white parallel stripes and pedestrian crossing signs. Pedestrians and bicycle riders who are on, or entering, the crossing have priority, and drivers must give way and be able to stop safely on approach.
Zebra crossings work best on lower-speed, lower-volume streets where a clear priority point is needed without the cost of signals.
What Is a Wombat Crossing?
A wombat crossing is a zebra crossing built on top of a flat-topped road hump, so the marked crossing sits above the level of the surrounding road. The raised platform lifts pedestrians into the driver’s line of sight and physically slows vehicles on approach, usually in a 40 km/h zone.
The name is a nod to the low, solid Australian marsupial that the profile loosely resembles. Because it combines priority marking with speed reduction, the wombat crossing has become a favourite in Australia’s road-safety design approach (the ‘Safe System’).
Raised Pedestrian Crossings
Raised pedestrian crossing is the broader term for any marked crossing placed on a raised platform, and it includes wombat crossings. Research cited by state road agencies has found that raised crossings can lower casualty rates by more than 60% compared with flat crossings, because they address both pedestrian visibility and vehicle speed at the same time.
You can read more on the design of raised and wombat crossings from Transport for NSW. They are well suited to school frontages, shopping strips, community facilities and side-road entries.
Children’s Crossings
A children’s crossing operates near schools at set times and is marked by flags. When the flags are displayed, drivers must stop and remain stopped until all pedestrians have left the crossing.
The flags must be displayed for the crossing to be legally in force, and they are shown only around school arrival and departure times.
Signalised Crossings
Signalised crossings use traffic signals to control movement. A pelican crossing is one common mid-block type, operated by a pedestrian push-button with a flashing-amber phase for drivers. A pedestrian presses a button, and a walk phase stops the traffic.
These crossings suit higher-volume, higher-speed roads where an unsignalised crossing would not give drivers enough warning or control.
Pedestrian Refuge Islands
A pedestrian refuge island is a raised median in the centre of the road that allows people to cross one direction of traffic at a time. Refuges are useful on wider or busier roads and are often paired with kerb extensions to shorten the crossing distance and calm traffic. TPA’s kerbing and traffic islands are designed to support exactly this kind of layout.
The Case for Rubber Pedestrian Crossings
Once you have chosen the crossing type, the next decision is what to build it from. This is where recycled rubber gives councils and contractors a real alternative.
TPA’s rubber pedestrian crossings, including wombat and raised crossings, are modular units manufactured from 100% recycled rubber. They deliver the safety benefits of a raised crossing without the disruption, cost and carbon of poured concrete.
The Case for Rubber Pedestrian Crossings
Once you have chosen the crossing type, the next decision is what to build it from. This is where recycled rubber has changed the equation for councils and contractors across the country.
TPA’s rubber pedestrian crossings, including wombat and raised crossings, are modular units manufactured from 100% recycled rubber. They deliver the safety benefits of a raised crossing without the disruption, cost and carbon of poured concrete.
“Councils no longer have to choose between a safe crossing and a sustainable one. Our recycled rubber crossings give you the speed reduction and visibility of a raised concrete crossing, but they go in within hours and keep tonnes of rubber out of landfill. That combination is what keeps clients coming back.” –Jochem Den Boon, Director, Traffic Products Australia
Sustainability without compromise.
Every crossing diverts end-of-life rubber from landfill and avoids the emissions tied to producing and pouring concrete. For councils with sustainability commitments, that is a measurable environmental win that does not come at the expense of performance or durability.
Fast, low-disruption installation.
Because the units are modular and interlock, a crossing can be installed in as little as two hours with no excavation. They are fixed directly onto asphalt, concrete or compacted gravel, so a busy street does not need to be closed for days at a time. For contractors, that means shorter programmes, lower traffic management costs and fewer headaches on site.
Durability and visibility.
The rubber is engineered to handle heavy vehicle loads and constant foot traffic in all weather. Slip-resistant surfaces, durable white bar markings (the ‘piano key’ pattern) and reflective cat’s eyes keep the crossing visible day and night, in line with Australian standards for road markings and signage.
Flexibility for changing needs.
Unlike concrete, the units are relocatable. If a road layout changes, a trial needs adjusting or a temporary crossing is required, the modules can be lifted and reinstalled rather than demolished and replaced.
Cost-effective across its whole life.
Lower installation labour, minimal maintenance and a long service life mean the total cost of ownership compares strongly against traditional options, even where the upfront figures look similar. Every crossing is backed by a 5-year product guarantee, giving councils and contractors long-term confidence in the investment.
Compared with a poured concrete crossing, a modular rubber crossing removes the two biggest pain points, namely lengthy road closures and permanent, inflexible infrastructure. The same principles run across TPA’s range, from raised platforms and speed cushions to rubber roundabouts, all designed as practical, sustainable alternatives to concrete.
Implementation Considerations
Specifying a crossing well involves more than selecting a product off a page.
Design and compliance
Each crossing should be designed for the site’s speed, clear lines of sight and how many people cross and it must comply with AS 1742.10 and the relevant state guidance. TPA’s in-house principal design engineer works alongside councils and contractors to get the layout, signage and markings right the first time.
Installation and timeline
With no excavation and a modular, interlocking system, most crossings are installed within a few hours. That short window keeps lane closures and community disruption to a minimum, which is often the deciding factor on a high-traffic street or near a school.
Maintenance
Recycled rubber resists cracking, fading and weathering, so ongoing maintenance is minimal. If a module is ever damaged, it can be replaced individually rather than resurfacing the whole crossing, which keeps whole-of-life costs down.
Cost
Look past the upfront price to what the crossing costs over its whole life. Faster installation, lower traffic management costs and reduced maintenance often make a rubber crossing the more economical choice over its service life.
End-to-end support
From design and manufacturing through to installation, TPA manages the full process, so you deal with one experienced team from concept to completed crossing. For related traffic-calming guidance, our state-by-state guide to roundabout rules in Australia is a useful companion resource.
Best Practices and Key Takeaways
Getting a crossing right is less about any single feature and more about a handful of practical principles. Keep the following in mind when planning, specifying or approving a pedestrian crossing for your network.
- Match the treatment to the site. Use speed, traffic volume and pedestrian numbers to choose between a flat zebra, a raised or wombat crossing, a refuge island or signals.
- Prioritise visibility. High-contrast markings and reflective elements matter most at dawn, dusk and night, when a large share of pedestrian crashes occur.
- Combine priority with speed reduction. Raised crossings work because they tackle driver behaviour and pedestrian visibility together, rather than relying on markings alone.
- Confirm compliance early. Check the design against AS 1742.10 and state requirements before installation to avoid costly rework and approval delays.
- Think whole-of-life, not just upfront. Weigh installation time, maintenance and durability alongside the initial price.
- Choose a supplier who supports you end to end, with design input, reliable supply and a solid product guarantee.
The most common mistake is treating every location the same, or defaulting to the lowest-priced option without checking that it suits the site’s speed and volume. A crossing that does not fit its environment can give pedestrians false confidence, which is worse than no crossing at all.
Build Safer Crossings with Traffic Products Australia
You don’t have to choose between safer streets and lower emissions. The right choice among the types of pedestrian crossings, built from durable recycled rubber, protects your community while cutting installation time and environmental impact.
With more than 20 years of experience, in-house design expertise and an industry-leading 5-year product guarantee, Traffic Products Australia helps councils and contractors deliver crossings that perform for the long term. Ready to plan your next crossing? Call TPA on 1800 211 212 or request a free quote to discuss the right solution for your site.
