They say the roads are getting safer, but so slowly do the wheels of bureaucracy turn in favour of people who walk or cycle (as opposed to drive), that groups are being forced to take matters into their own hands.
A sticker applied to the surface of a road that gives the impression a child is standing in the middle of the street has been used to highlight the danger posed by traffic around schools.
A Canadian organisation called Preventable, which exists to raise awareness about preventable injuries, launched the pilot project to raise drivers’ awareness during the first week of the new school term.
Cricket fans have become used to seeing the pitch printed with elongated advertising slogans, which appear in their correct proportions when seen from a particular angle – in most cases when viewed from where the television cameras are situated. In the case of the road stickers showing the young child, the image gradually appears to be three dimensional as drivers approach the image.
The sticker existed for one week only to capture the attention of drivers.
The sticker was installed following careful consultation with the local council, parents, engineers, and police.
The project was a highly imaginative way of highlighting the need for slower speeds and extra vigilance on the streets where children live, go to school and play.
Nearer to home, human-shaped bollards that give the impression that a child might be about to cross the road were installed outside Avenue Primary School in Leicester to help enforce a 20mph speed limit.
Guerrilla tactics to reduce road danger
| DIY traffic calming | … at a glance |
|---|---|
| Balloons | Community groups in America place tethered helium-filled balloons in the middle of streets where children play |
| Cameras | Villages in England have built fake speed cameras to slow approaching cars |
| Concrete | New Yorkers created their own curb extensions to slow traffic speeds on corners |
| Paint | A resident in Northern California painted their own zebra crossing when the local authority refused to install one |
We developed a pop-up zebra crossing as a cost-effective way for parents to lobby their local authority for a safe crossing.
The ethical choice
The ETA was established in 1990 as an ethical provider of green, reliable travel services. Over 30 years on, we continue to offer cycle insurance , breakdown cover and mobility scooter insurance while putting concern for the environment at the heart of all we do.
The Good Shopping Guide judges us to be the UK’s most ethical provider.
Tim Earl
The next step for this pop-up crossing is surely obvious – it pops up when needed (at school opening and closing times), and pops down when not needed.