Speed bumps of the future
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Today, West Vancouver officials will roll out a new way to keep drivers alert and slow them down: a little girl speed bump. A <FONT color=#8a7a4a>trompe-l’œil</FONT>, the apparently 3D girl located near the École Pauline Johnson Elementary School is actually a 2D pavement painting, similar to the one shown here.
In what sounds like a terrifying experience, the girl’s elongated form appears to rise from the ground as cars approach, reaching 3D realism at around 100 feet, and then returning to 2D distortion once cars pass that ideal viewing distance. 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.
The illusion is part of a $15,000 safety program that will run this week, led by the <FONT color=#8a7a4a>BCAA Traffic Safety Foundation</FONT> and the public awareness group <FONT color=#8a7a4a>Preventable.ca</FONT>. As drivers approach, the police will monitor the fake girl’s effects. Despite fears that drivers may stop suddenly or swerve into actual 3D children, David Duane of the BCAA Traffic Safety Foundation <FONT color=#8a7a4a>told</FONT> CTV news that the bump was meant to bring attention to driver-caused pedestrian injuries, and that the fake girl should not cause accidents:
“It’s a static image. If a driver can’t respond to this appropriately, that person shouldn’t be driving….”
In 2008, Philadelphia used similar, virtual speed bumps–more common in Europe–in its “Drive CarePhilly” campaign. Philadelphia, however, chose a less anthropomorphic route–opting for three <FONT color=#8a7a4a>spikes</FONT>.
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Awesome. Let's desensitize people to children playing in the street!
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Philly doesn't need fake speed bumps. The pot holes bordering on sinks holes are enough of a deterrant. Although there is a sweet spot at around 40 mph where you just glide over most of the pot holes.
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Wow, nokidding. So drivers are going to start to expect 3d children to eventually turn 2d. And if they don't... 50 points!!!
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@frits said:
There's a great irony in the way rich countries spend a fortune building perfectly smooth roads to allow cars to run at speed, and then build great humps in them (at further huge expense) to slow traffic. Why not just have a broken road-surface to start with, like they do in most parts of the world, and save the road-mending budget for roads that people are allowed to go fast on?Philly doesn't need fake speed bumps. The pot holes bordering on sinks holes are enough of a deterrant. Although there is a sweet spot at around 40 mph where you just glide over most of the pot holes.
Course, it would solve most of these problems if lots of urban backstreets were gravel surfaced - you'd be having too much fun sliding all over the shop at 20 to even think about speeding :)
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@davedavenotdavemaybedave said:
Course, it would solve most of these problems if lots of urban backstreets were gravel surfaced - you'd be having too much fun sliding all over the shop at 20 to even think about speeding :)
Pretty sure this would defeat the purpose of lower speed limits - your stopping distance on gravel at 20 MPH is probably more than your stopping distance at 30 MPH on regular roads. So now you're even more likely to hit that child that you thought was just a fake 2D image. And they wouldn't be able to dodge so easily when their shoes slip on the gravel.
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That little girl would be distorted in no time on gravel.
CETTE JEUNE FILLE SERA DISTORDUE RAPIDEMENT SUR DE LA GRAVELLE.
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@TarquinWJ said:
@davedavenotdavemaybedave said:
The problem's not so much people driving at 30, though, at least round where I live, except outside schools. It's on the residential roads where 40-50 would be reasonable if you based it purely on the surface/width/straightness, excluding the context of the road, that it would make a difference.Course, it would solve most of these problems if lots of urban backstreets were gravel surfaced - you'd be having too much fun sliding all over the shop at 20 to even think about speeding :)
Pretty sure this would defeat the purpose of lower speed limits - your stopping distance on gravel at 20 MPH is probably more than your stopping distance at 30 MPH on regular roads. So now you're even more likely to hit that child that you thought was just a fake 2D image. And they wouldn't be able to dodge so easily when their shoes slip on the gravel.
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@Monkios said:
Well, that's a plus. People will only run down really badly deformed kids that way.That little girl would be distorted in no time on gravel.
CETTE JEUNE FILLE SERA DISTORDUE RAPIDEMENT SUR DE LA GRAVELLE.
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@Monkios said:
That little girl would be distorted in no time on gravel.
Not if she were a hologram projected from a robot hovering high above the road. Remember that this is the future we're talking about.
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@amischiefr said:
When the desensitized driver eventually runs over a real kid, they'll place the blame on Carmageddon. Or Quarantine. Or whatever "killer driver" game is out by then. Meh.Wow, nokidding. So drivers are going to start to expect 3d children to eventually turn 2d. And if they don't... 50 points!!!
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Drive at 30km? How about I go faster than a quadraplegic turtle and you keep your godamn kids off the street? How about that?
When I was a kid my parents drilled "look both ways" and "don't run into the street" into my head. I survided a childhood in a downtown neighbourhood even though I was out every day roaming the streets. I consider kids that don't look before crossing, natural selection waiting to happen. If we don't thin out the herd now, tomorrow they'll be the kind of adults that need to read "Don't drink" on the side of a bleach bottle to stay alive.
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@DOA said:
Drive at 30km? How about I go faster than a quadraplegic turtle
30Kph is an adequate Kill setting.
@DOA said:
you keep your godamn kids off the street?
+1
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@DOA said:
Drive at 30km? How about I go faster than a quadraplegic turtle and you keep your godamn kids off the street? How about that?
When I was a kid my parents drilled "look both ways" and "don't run into the street" into my head. I survided a childhood in a downtown neighbourhood even though I was out every day roaming the streets. I consider kids that don't look before crossing, natural selection waiting to happen. If we don't thin out the herd now, tomorrow they'll be the kind of adults that need to read "Don't drink" on the side of a bleach bottle to stay alive.
To be fair, I've nearly been run over several times while crossing at designated crosswalks (with big flashing X lights, etc), because people seem to think that the white sign with the number in it is a helpful suggestion.
Other than that, I'm with you on this.
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@davedavenotdavemaybedave said:
Course, it would solve most of these problems if lots of urban backstreets were gravel surfaced - you'd be having too much fun sliding all over the shop at 20 to even think about speeding :)
It's obvious you've never driven on a gravel/dirt road. If it isn't a washboard, it's as safe as asphalt to drive on at speed...just dustier.
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@Monkios said:
CETTE JEUNE FILLE SERA DISTORDUE RAPIDEMENT SUR DE LA GRAVELLE.
Because of the Charter of the French language, all my posts must be in French.
Frogs got Charters???
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@Duke of URL said:
@Monkios said:
CETTE JEUNE FILLE SERA DISTORDUE RAPIDEMENT SUR DE LA GRAVELLE.
Because of the Charter of the French language, all my posts must be in French.
Frogs got Charters???
Yes, but it's spelled "Chartres":
http://www.ftdechartres.com/page/page/1396753.htm
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@SilentRunner said:
It's obvious you've never driven on a gravel/dirt road. If it isn't a washboard, it's as safe as asphalt to drive on at speed...just dustier.
Uhh... You certainly haven't got as much grip, at least unless you tires are skewed toward gravel performance rather than asphalt. Tires that are optimal for pavement (like pretty much any normal street car tire) aren't going to give you anywhere NEAR as much grip on gravel... I'm not sure how you could think otherwise. Tires that are really good on pavement will be godawful on gravel, and tires that are excellent on gravel will be horrifyingly bad on asphalt. This isn't a one-axis system.
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@PeriSoft said:
@SilentRunner said:
It's obvious you've never driven on a gravel/dirt road. If it isn't a washboard, it's as safe as asphalt to drive on at speed...just dustier.
Tires that are *really good* on pavement will be godawful on gravel, and tires that are excellent on gravel will be horrifyingly bad on asphalt. This isn't a one-axis system.Maybe you're referring to different concepts of "gravel".
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@dhromed said:
@PeriSoft said:
@SilentRunner said:
It's obvious you've never driven on a gravel/dirt road. If it isn't a washboard, it's as safe as asphalt to drive on at speed...just dustier.
Tires that are really good on pavement will be godawful on gravel, and tires that are excellent on gravel will be horrifyingly bad on asphalt. This isn't a one-axis system.Maybe you're referring to different concepts of "gravel".
"Loose surface"? I wasn't aware there was a different meaning; there at least seems to be some consensus on what 'gravel' is...
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@PeriSoft said:
"Loose surface"? I wasn't aware there was a different meaning; there at least seems to be some consensus on what 'gravel' is...
Your gravel is the same thing I had in mind.
Silentrunner, however, saw fit to add "/dirt road" as a qualifier,which says to me that by "gravel", he meant something different, like an actually dry, hard, dusty dirt road, which is very easy to drive on with normal tires.
