Point of Focus

$Optical illusion helps create fake speed bumps The 3-D markings are appealing because, at $60 to $80 each, they cost a fraction of real speed bumps (which can run $1,000 to $1,500) and require little maintenance, said Richard Simon, deputy regional administrator for the highway safety administration. On one of three streets tested in the Phoenix trial, the percentage of drivers who obeyed the 25 mph speed limit nearly doubled. But the effect wore off after a few months. “Initially they were great,” said the Phoenix Police traffic coordinator, Officer Terry Sills. “Until people found out what they were.” What they needed to do is paint some and put up a few real ones, and let the drivers gamble about whether ruining their car is worth the speeding. It wouldn’t save them as much money as going all-paint, but it sure beats their secondary plan of adding more police officers. They could even put up a police department-sponsored shocks & struts shops on each end of the street. (via bullshit)$

Optical illusion helps create fake speed bumps

The 3-D markings are appealing because, at $60 to $80 each, they cost a fraction of real speed bumps (which can run $1,000 to $1,500) and require little maintenance, said Richard Simon, deputy regional administrator for the highway safety administration.

On one of three streets tested in the Phoenix trial, the percentage of drivers who obeyed the 25 mph speed limit nearly doubled. But the effect wore off after a few months.

“Initially they were great,” said the Phoenix Police traffic coordinator, Officer Terry Sills. “Until people found out what they were.”

What they needed to do is paint some and put up a few real ones, and let the drivers gamble about whether ruining their car is worth the speeding. It wouldn’t save them as much money as going all-paint, but it sure beats their secondary plan of adding more police officers. They could even put up a police department-sponsored shocks & struts shops on each end of the street. (via bullshit)

Point of Focus

All posts from June 30, 2008

Musical Ability Connected to Genes - Scientific American »

“We have these cultural beliefs that children are the key to happiness and a healthy life, and they’re not.”

“The world is divided into armed camps ready to commit genocide just because we can’t agree on whose fairy tales to believe. In the end, religion will kill us all.”

“The only difference between martyrdom and suicide is press coverage.”