Why do you think zebra crossings are called that?

shutterstock

In the middle of the 20th century, several zebras escaped from London Zoo and, against all odds, somehow managed to thrive in the urban environment.
This did lead to some issues though! The zebras weren’t known for their knowledge of the highway code, and had a nasty habit of prancing out in front of oncoming traffic. This caused a lot of accidents, not least because the zebras were masterfully camouflaged.

Here we see a zebra on the left, and an unremarkable picture of an empty road on the right.

Something needed to be done.

A campaign was introduced to teach these zebras about proper pedestrian etiquette. They would be rewarded with delicious grass for crossing the road at a safe point, which would be marked with alternating white and dark stripes. (Probably a bad idea, bearing in mind their camouflage.)

Thus, the zebra crossing was born.

It took some trial and error, but eventually the zebras learned to equate the crossings with food. Unfortunately, they would pester the nearest pedestrian until grass was offered, but this was a small price to pay for keeping the streets safe.

Another empty road. Wish I could find some pictures of zebras.

The initiative was wheeled out around the country, since a few of the feral equines had spread further afield.

Since 1950, there have been no traffic accidents caused by zebras in the UK, although plenty of motorists were killed by colliding with seemingly nothing.

Overall, a massive success!

…

Upon further inspection, it seems I was mistaken. Maybe I accidentally ingested some questionable substances during History class at school. I wondered why the teacher had morphed into a talking oven glove.

Here’s the real story to ensure that this remains a helpful answer:

Zebra crossings were so named simply because the stripes resemble the pattern of a zebra.

It is thought that the name stuck because British MP James Callaghan made this observation in 1948.