Cutouts, 3D illusion latest tools to deter speeders

METRO VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) – In an effort to make our roads safer, some unique ideas are being rolled out to try to get drivers to slow down.

In Burnaby, BCAA has dusted off a tool that was debuted eight years ago to keep pedestrians — especially children — from becoming another statistic.

“Pavement Patty” is back.

“What she is is a 3D illusion of a girl chasing a ball into the street,” Shawn Pettipas with BCAA explains. “As a driver approaches this illusion, the image basically comes to life. It looks like she’s appeared in the middle of the street.”

A survey done last week of principals, teachers and parents shows eight in 10 witnessed speeding, and nearly three-quarters saw drivers failing to stop at crosswalks.

Patty’s being set up at Brentwood Park Elementary until 4:00 p.m. on Friday.

Meantime, the next traffic officer you spot on the side of a street in Coquitlam may not actually be real.

The RCMP in that city has unveiled three life-sized cut-outs — all named Constable Scarecrow — that will be placed in various areas as part of a new pilot project.

“This is a light-hearted approach to traffic enforcement,” RCMP Corporal Michael McLaughlin says. “You might not get a ticket, hopefully you just slow down. But it is a warning that Constable Scarecrow’s big brothers and sisters, the real police officers, are right around the corner.”

This idea has been done before in Britain, but McLaughlin adds he’s not aware of any jurisdiction in Canada which has tried it.

The two month program also includes a data tracking system, which will determine whether or not people actually slow down for this. If it works, you might see Constable Scarecrow in other jurisdictions around the region.
“We can’t be everywhere writing tickets, so Constable Scarecrow is a low-cost way of getting more police officers on the street and hopefully getting people to slow down.”