London's First 3D Zebra Crossing
newsdepo.com
UK's capital city has come up with its first ever 3D Zebra Crossing painted on a road in north-west London in an effort to improve road safety in the area.Appearing to be floating above the road, the striped crossing gives an optical illusion that is visibleLondon's First 3D Zebra Crossing
UK's capital city has come up with its first ever 3D Zebra Crossing painted on a road in north-west London in an effort to improve road safety in the area.Appearing to be floating above the road, the striped crossing gives an optical illusion that is visible to oncoming drivers from both directions. Located on St John's Wood High Street in Westminster, the crossing is part of a 12-month trial to decrease the number of road-related accidents. If successful, the crossing will be implemented across the Westminster borough.«Our 3D zebra crossing could be the future of road safety across the country,» said Westminster Council cabinet member Tim Mitchell. «Far from being simply a brilliant innovation that makes the ordinary look eye-grabbing and modern, the 3D effect helps drivers to see the crossing easier,» he explained.The trial was picked up after concerns regarding road safety were raised by the local residents and teachers at the neighboring Barrow Hill Junior School. Since the crossing is also located near Abbey Road, the site of The Beatles' iconic album cover of the same name, Westminster ward councilor Robert Rigby said, «It's also wonderful that tourists who flock to St John's Wood to pay homage to The Beatles at Abbey Road studios and walk the famous zebra crossing will now have another world-famous crossing to visit.»Besides being the first 3D crossing in the UK, the crossing has been experimented with in various countries with similar kinds of road crossings, including Iceland, India, New Zealand, and the US.Saumya Pandya Thakkar, who co-designed one of the 3D crossings in her town of Ahmedabad in India, wrote in a Facebook post in 2016, «It does not lead to sudden breaking risks, as on [the] actual spot it is just mild slanting strips with micro 3D effects, mainly considering safety of the drivers.»According to the Westminster council, optical illusion crossings have «been proven» to improve road safety. «Trials of a similar scheme in New Delhi, India, are reported to show that average speeds where it was employed had dropped by as much as 40 per cent, from 30mph to 20mph,» reported Westminster Council.In 2017, London software company Umbrellium had also developed an interactive road crossing that only appears when it's needed. https://www.blouinartinfo.com/ Founder: Louise Blouin Read more