Two women artists design 3D zebra crossing for pedestrian friendly roads

This mother and daughter duo, artists Saumya Pandya Thakkar and Shakuntala Pandya from Ahmedabad have designed something innovative that not only serves an artistic purpose but ensures road safety for pedestrians. They have designed a 3-dimensional zebra crossing. The motto was to increase the attention of drivers through new patterns of zebra crossings.

In a report by India Times, for oncoming drivers, the 3-dimensional zebra crossing gives an illusion of a blockade, hence making them slow down. The novel idea will be used near schools and accident prone areas in Ahmedabad to reduce road related accidents and allow pedestrians to safely cross the road.

The authorities have tested the effects in Ahmedabad and have approved it as successful concept. In a report by FastCoExist, the artists had seen a similar optical illusion in photos from China, and decided to attempt it in Ahmedabad, painting four crosswalks in the city in January. Months later, it seems to be working.

Because of the way the human eye works, the illusion shows up only slightly at a distance—enough to make someone slow down—but appears two-dimensional up close, so drivers don’t suddenly brake. “It’s better than normal artwork, but not as perfect as it looks in photographs,” Saumya said. “So it’s not that dangerous for the drivers, because they can make out that this is just a painting. But the idea is that they pay attention because of the new creations,” added Saumya.

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