Proposal:Tag:flashing lights:design
| flashing lights:design | |
|---|---|
| Proposal status: | Draft (under way) |
| Proposed by: | Pietervdvn |
| Tagging: | |
| Applies to: |  
|
| Definition: | The design of a flashing light above a pedestrian crossing |
| Statistics: |
|
| Draft started: | 2026-01-18 |
Proposal
This tag is to be used with flashing_lights=yes to indicate the precise design of the flashing lights.
Rationale
There are multiple types of flashing lights in use - sometimes even with legal repercussions.
Sometimes, contributors want to tag the type of flashing light and abuse crossing_ref=* for this (e.g. crossing_ref=hawk or crossing_ref=rrfb as used in the US, hence poluting that tag.
Tagging
| Tag | Applicable country | Description | Image |
|---|---|---|---|
flashing_lights:design=belisha_beacon |
UK, Ireland, Common Wealth | A Belisha beacon (/bəˈliːʃə/) is a yellow-coloured globe lamp atop a tall black and white striped pole, marking pedestrian crossings of roads. |
 |
flashing_lights:design=standard |
* | A plain, orange flashing light |
 |
flashing_lights:design=traffic_sign |
* | The flashing lights are integrated into the traffic sign | |
flashing_lights:design=hawk |
US | A HAWK beacon[a] (high-intensity activated crosswalk beacon) or pedestrian hybrid beacon is a traffic control device used to stop vehicular traffic and allow pedestrians to cross safely. The vehicular signal head consists of three sections: two horizontally arranged circular red sections, over a single circular yellow section centered between the red lights. The MUTCD requires at least two HAWK signal faces facing each vehicular approach to the crossing. Normal pedestrian signal heads control pedestrian traffic. (From Wikipedia) |
 |
flashing_lights:design=rrfb |
US | "rectangular rapid flashing beacon |
 |
| Please, add relevant examples |
Other sources
https://ctre.iastate.edu/research-synthesis/intersections/flashing-beacons/
Features/Pages affected
This tag should be linked to from:
External discussions
The first mention of flashing_lights:design=* was mentioned in this forum post. Earlier posts in the thread mention the desire for this tag, albeit with a different key.
The thread introducing this proposal is here
Comments
Please comment on the discussion page.