A pedestrian walks across the newly designed 3D crosswalk. The walkway was designed by a pair of fourth graders in Massachusetts. (WBZ / NNS)
A pair of bright elementary school students have designed a 3D crosswalk to get drivers to slow down in their Massachusetts neighborhood, according to azfamily.com.
This multidimensional safety idea works like a speed bump. It appears to rise up off the street due to an optical illusion, forcing drivers to slow down in fear of messing up their vehicles.
According to azfamily.com, fourth-grade students from Brooks Elementary School in Medford, Isa and Eric, came up with the design to encourage drivers to "stop and think."
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An optical illusion for drivers. The walkway was designed by a pair of fourth graders in Massachusetts. (WBZ / NNS)
“When you’re walking across you can tell it’s painted, but what we hope is, when you’re driving down, you’ll see it as 3D, three dimensional. So it looks real,” Isa told WBZ-TV.
WBZ-TV says they got the idea after Eric's brother almost got hit by a car.
"We were thinking of a way we could do something to help make the street safer," Isa told WBZ-TV.
Working with the Center for Citizenship and Social Responsibility, (CCSR) it took a year before the two future engineers would get their project approved.
A car stops at the newly designed 3D crosswalk. The walkway was designed by a pair of fourth graders in Massachusetts (WBZ / NNS)
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Their teacher at CCSR, Mike Coates, applauded how the persistent youngsters worked with the city bureaucracy.
“I think it’s great. It certainly would make me stop,” says Coates. “It’s a great example of them sticking to an idea and going through all the steps and talking, in this case, to all the adults and all the powers that be.”
The actual painting was done by local artist Nate Swain and the city plans to add the 3D crosswalks to three elementary schools this summer.
China, Island and Canada have already implemented 3D crosswalks.