What does this marking mean?

Explanation

The place where a cycle path crosses the carriageway.

In the picture two parallel rows of small squares are visible, cutting across the width of the carriageway like a corridor, with the middle of that corridor empty. This pattern is specific to the place where a cycle path crosses the carriageway.

Telling it apart from a pedestrian crossing is not difficult, provided you look at the shape of the bands: a pedestrian crossing is drawn with wide, long bands along the direction of the car's travel and from a distance looks like a striped panel, whereas a cycle crossing is marked only by two dotted edges.

The practical importance of this difference lies in the speed of approach. A cyclist reaches the carriageway several times faster than a pedestrian and may appear suddenly from behind a tree, a hedge or a parked car; so the sight distance that is sufficient for a pedestrian is not sufficient for a bicycle. When you see this marking, reduce speed before reaching it and watch both sides.

The exam trap is the option that adds the words "traffic light": the marking itself says nothing about whether the place is signalled or not. The type of marking identifies the type of road user, not the method of traffic control.

• This option contains two errors at once: the marking pattern does not belong to a pedestrian crossing, and a marking never announces the existence of a traffic light. • A pedestrian crossing is drawn with wide, continuous bands along the direction of the car's travel, not with two rows of small squares.

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