The Indian government may use 3D paintings as virtual speed-breakers on major highways and roads, in a bid to check speeding and rash driving, and ultimately make its deadly roads a little safer. 

 

为了抑制超速、变灯冲刺等驾驶行为，并最终提升事故多发地的安全性，印度政府可能要在主要公路和街道设置3D图案，作为虚拟减速装置。
 

 

"We are trying out 3D paintings used as virtual speed breakers to avoid unnecessary requirements of speed breakers," India's transport minister Nitin Gadkari tweeted. 

 

The optical illusions are supposed to encourage drivers to slow down automatically. Earlier this month, India had ordered the removal of all speed breakers from highways, which are considered to be a safety hazard for high-speed vehicles. 

 

India has the highest number of road accident deaths in the world. According to the World Health Organisation¹, over 200,000 people are killed by road accidents due to poor implementation² of road safety laws. This is considerably³ higher than its official figures of 141,526 for 2014. 

 

In India, cities such as Ahmedabad and Chennai have already experimented with 3D zebra crossings in the last one year. In Ahmedabad for instance, a mother-daughter artist duo has painted 3D crosswalks in the first few months of 2016. The artists say their motto is "to increase the attention of drivers", and that the concept has been successfully tested in accident-prone zones on a highway. 

 

However, critics argue that once drivers know that these speed breakers are visual illusions, they may ignore them. Others also point out that India's decision does not consider the safety of a large number of pedestrians⁴. In the end, the new policy may be just one step towards improving road safety.

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