What do you think of this?

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?

[What is an optical illusion? How does it work?]

Asked whether confusing and/or tricking drivers with such images might create such unintended hazards, David Dunne of the British Columbia Automobile Association Traffic Safety Foundation said that pedestrians need to be just as alert as drivers.

"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."

[Related: What your child's teacher won't tell you]

As for drivers who become can't process optical illusions, Dunne argued that they have no business on the road in the first place.

"It's a static image," he said. "If a driver can't respond to this appropriately, that person shouldn't be driving, and that's a whole different problem."

Eventually people will ignore it just like speed bumps and a real kid will get hit because people thought it was just the optical illusion. Whats needed is smarter drivers and pedestrians who instead of expecting others to watch out for their life become accountable for their own lives and watch out for themselves.

I'm sick of drivers that blow through crosswalks when I'm at the edge instead of stopping like they are supposed to and pedestrians that fly across the middle of the road in front of me hoping I have enough time to stop. Stop being so fucking lazy and walk to the lights if you don't want to be a hood ornament OR wait until its safe to cross in the middle of the road.

The kids that live on my street like to play road hockey in front of my house.. which is fine.. but if I decide I want to get into my drive way, move the fuck out of my way and take that look off your face...or else go play in front of your own house.

kbullet wrote:

Eventually people will ignore it just like speed bumps and a real kid will get hit because people thought it was just the optical illusion. Whats needed is smarter drivers and pedestrians who instead of expecting others to watch out for their life become accountable for their own lives and watch out for themselves.

I'm sick of drivers that blow through crosswalks when I'm at the edge instead of stopping like they are supposed to and pedestrians that fly across the middle of the road in front of me hoping I have enough time to stop. Stop being so fucking lazy and walk to the lights if you don't want to be a hood ornament OR wait until its safe to cross in the middle of the road.

The kids that live on my street like to play road hockey in front of my house.. which is fine.. but if I decide I want to get into my drive way, move the fuck out of my way and take that look off your face...or else go play in front of your own house.

I was thinking the exact same thing. After a few weeks of it, it becomes "normal" and will be ignored. They should have random speedtraps at 5 different schools everyday so nobody knows where or when.

I agree,it will soon just become something they will ignore,and eventually a child will be killed because of it,People need to slow down and watch what the hell they are doing

Bad idea..