Crosswalks are meant to slow drivers down and make them aware of pedestrians crossing the street. But, far too often, drivers and bikers will zoom through crosswalks. In fact, one study found that a shocking 75 percent of drivers either maintain their same speed or actually speed up when approaching crosswalks, with only a quarter of drivers slowing down or stopping. In order to counter the issue, Iceland is now using 3-D crosswalks to make them stand out to drivers and slow down speeding cars.
These crossings create an optical illusion that makes it appear as though obstacles are hovering above the ground and obstructing the road. They’ve painted this 3D effect zebra crossing to slow traffic and it seems to be working, When it’s approaching, the crosswalk will look like it’s “jumping” from the driver’s point of view in their vehicles.
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The visual effect is striking, as the eye-popping illusion shifts depending on your perspective. From the air, the white stripes jump up, making them appear as a column of walls. At ground level though, the bars seem to hover just above the ground.
While it has garnered a significant amount of attention, a new crosswalk is not the first of its kind. A similar 3-D crossing painted across an intersection in Russia, China and India, and street painters had to practice 3D painting a lot before they put it in place.
SIASAT NEWS