Techotic

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is testing fake speed bumps, a flat piece of blue, white and orange plastic that is designed to look like a 3-D pyramid from a distant. The optical illusion fake speed bumps actually slow people down. Until they realize the bumps are fake, but then the fake speed bumps can act as flashing lights in school zone, letting drivers know that they should not be speeding in the area.

The fake bumps are being tested on a section of road in a business and residential area in Philadelphia’s northeastern corner.

But soon they will also be popping up — or looking that way — on 60 to 90 more streets where speeding is a problem.

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.

[via associated press]