Picture of a child in the street used in lieu of a speed bump

[Rage for Order]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/yblog_upshot/20100908/od_yblog_upshot/canada-unveils-new-speed-bump-optical-illusions-of-children

Officials in West Vancouver, Canada, apparently aren't satisfied with the driver-slowing properties of traditional speed bumps. On Tuesday, the town unveiled a new way to persuade motorists to ease off the gas pedal in the vicinity of the École Pauline Johnson Elementary School: a 2-D image of a child playing, creating the illusion that the approaching driver will soon blast into a child.

According to Discover magazine, the pavement painting appears to rise up as the driver gets closer to it, reaching full 3-D realism at around 100 feet: "Its designers created the image to give drivers who travel at the street's recommended 18 miles per hour (30 km per hour) enough time to stop before hitting Pavement Patty -- acknowledging the spectacle before they continue to safely roll over her."

You have to wonder if the designers of the "speed bump of the future" considered that drivers might become conditioned to disregard Pavement Patty and her imaginary cohorts, creating something similar to a "boy who cried wolf" effect. Couldn't such conditioning reduce drivers' caution if a real child should cross their path?

"People tune out. It takes an attitude shift for people to change," Dunne said. "Pedestrians need an attitude shift too. They have to realize that just because they are in a crosswalk doesn't mean they are safe. In fact, most get hit while using crosswalks."


:shrug:

[davidinalameda]

1. this is a bad idea just waiting to happen

[Rage for Order]

2. Couple this with red light cameras and they'll really have something. n/t

[davidinalameda]

5. that could be a new show on Fox

[notesdev]

11. Yup

They're training people to ignore children in the streets, whoever thought this up should be fired. No speed bump is that important.

[NightWatcher]

3. just put up a damn speed bump and forget the mind games

aw jeez

"Pavement Patty might condition people to ignore kids in the road...."

[rug]

4. This will work better.

[GSLevel9]

7. that's great, where is it? nt

[rug]

9. They're chalk so probably nowhere now.

Here's his website.

http://users.skynet.be/J.Beever/pave.htm

[KittyWampus]

8. Great Idea!

[pipi_k]

16. hahahahaha!!!! n/t

[damntexdem]

6. Better include the speed bump as well.

And besides, that way those who use the picture as a target will get a really nasty shock.

[Buns_of_Fire]

10. Interesting, but I suggest pictures of Wall Street bankers and CEOs be used instead.

Oh, I forgot -- this is intended to make motorists slow DOWN, not speed UP. Sorry. My mistake.

[hiskooldropout]

12. Use real kids?

How about using real kids every once in while so people don't start assuming it's just a 3D drawing? I've got a couple of students I'd be happy to volunteer....

[whoneedstickets]

13. "Hey! slow down there's a kid in the road" ... "Nah, its just a painting"..

..thud

[ecstatic]

14. and if the driver swerves to avoid the kid?

Sounds ridiculous, but people are so distracted nowadays with GPS and cell phones that I can see it happening.

[pipi_k]

15. Yeah, that was my first thought as well...

that after a while people might tend to see anything crossing the road as just another mindgame painting.


Just put the damned speedbumps in and be done with it...

[trumad]

17. Are they trying to say speed bumps dont work?

Bullshit---they work great in my neighborhood. Just make the bigger...