What do the zig zag stripes on British roads indicate?

Question

I've usually seen them along the edges of the road in urban areas...I've also seen a cross-hatch pattern, I wonder what that indicates as well.

Thanks.

Answer 1

They are called zebra crossings and they are crosswalks. the ones

on the side of the road are no drive areas.

Answer 2

They mean you can't park there; for example, you get zig zag lines near to crossings... I think it's 10 feet on either side.

If the cross hatching is yellow, it means you can't enter the box unless your exit is clear. For example, if you're at a junction and the traffic is heavy on the other side, you must say back until there's a gap. It doesn't apply if you're turning right, and the only reason you can't go is because of oncoming traffic. Look at number 174 on this page http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/TravelAndTra...

You can view the highway code here http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/TravelAndTra...