Ok... this is insane. Someone needs a slap...

[jimsmegos]

Canada unveils new speed bump: optical illusion of a child | The Upshot Yahoo! News - Yahoo! News

[Captain]

Vancouver needs to try something to slow people down. this might be a bit extreme, but so is the driving in the greater Vancouver area. I've seen people actually...and I'm dead serious here....pull onto the SIDEWALK at red lights to go around the line of traffic and cut back into traffic up ahead. I've not only seen it once, but several times. Of course once one idiot pulls this trick, theres always a few more in the line willing to try it to. Some say LA is worse..or just as bad. I've driven there too, and see them as about the same. Makes sense, as Vancouver is full of folks from LA.

In my travels I think the only worse place I've driven...The worse place...is Montreal...where stop signs and red lights are treated as optional by the locals.

[Mikey]

Around these parts speed bumps are painted like yellow crosswalks --- works fine.

[palitoy]

Vancouver is somewhat unique in that there is no traditional freeway, I spent a week there a while back and I went nuts.

The worse place...is Montreal...where stop signs and red lights are treated as optional by the locals.

Yeah Montreal is kind of trippy that way.

[SeattleEd]

Some say LA is worse..or just as bad. I've driven there too, and see them as about the same. Makes sense, as Vancouver is full of folks from LA.

I grew up in L.A. and learned to drive there, on my own. So it's NOT bad at all. The place that is FAR worse is Phoenix. More so on the freeway and it's no wonder there are so many accidents there. ZERO respect for pedestrians and other drivers. Biggest SUVs and Pick-Up trucks I've ever seen that they barrel right onto you forcing you out of the way. Don't get some drivers mad or they'll shoot at you.
Now try Mexico City, if you can drive there you can drive ANYWHERE. It's funny how drivers turn 3 lanes into five and going up on sidewalks is common. Sometimes I get freaked out being in traffic there and I recall the first time I drove a car there when I was 12 I almost shot out arse biscuits! But L.A. is nothing, just TOO MANY cars on the road.

[SeattleEd]

Canada unveils new speed bump: optical illusion of a child | The Upshot Yahoo! News - Yahoo! News

Not sure if it's a deterrent for speeding motorist. Once they become wise to the painting they will get accustomed to seeing it as painting and if they driver behind is following close to the car in front, they won't see it.

What would be interesting is seeing inebriated motorists coming up to the painting and freaking out at the last second, swerving a way and smacking into oncoming traffic, parked vehicles, pedestrians or buildings.

[vintage spideyfan]

What would be interesting is seeing inebriated motorists coming up to the painting and freaking out at the last second, swerving a way and smacking into oncoming traffic, parked vehicles, pedestrians or buildings.

^^That was my thoughts.

Definitely an unconditional approach to controlling traffic.

[johnnystorm]

That's a very real danger, as it would also be for out-of-town visitors & tourists. I'd also think, as the article says, that some people would just get so used to it that they would ignore a real child assuming it was just another speed bump painting. That would be a terrible tragedy.

How about just adding a couple more cops and tripling the fine for speeding? I know there are several areas that I drive through out here in the country, rural backwater roads, that have a speed limit change from 55 to 25 at the borough line. An INSTANT change, and the one cop the township has sits behind a barn, waiting for you to hit that line- boom! $195 fine. I learned the hard way ONCE. Now when I go through that area, I hit the brakes about a 1/2 mile ot and creep on through until I hit the outer line where the limit goes back up to 55.

[SeattleEd]

... and tripling the fine for speeding? ...boom! $195 fine.

Wait. What!!! What is it now? That's what the AVERAGE cost is here in Seattle. More in other neighbor cities like where Bill Gates lives (Medina/Bellevue).

[Doc]

what the hell is wrong with a regular speed bump? Hearing your expensive car bottom out, scrape, and if your going real fast sparks should be the best deterence.

[Zemo]

Yea, give them some props, they invented the weed mobile!!

[jp1969]

That is f,n weird!
I wonder how much of our tax money went into this concept.

[saildog]

From the article:

Asked whether confusing and/or tricking drivers with such images might create such unintended hazards, .....

The answer to that is, "yes, I can imagine it could lead to an actual child accidentally becoming a real "speed bump"."....despite the answer given by the policy-wonk they asked the question of.

[UnderdogDJLSW]

Yeah, not a fan of this idea at all.

[Duncan]

I'd also think, as the article says, that some people would just get so used to it that they would ignore a real child assuming it was just another speed bump painting.

This was my first thought. It's brilliant - conditioning people to ignore kids in the road, and giving heart attacks to tourists. While we're at it, why not truck in a few loads of deer every day, and release them in the middle of downtown? That'd slow down traffic, too.