‘3D crosswalks’ painted in Turkey’s Aydın to protect pedestrians

AYDIN

“Three-dimensional crosswalks” have been painted in a district in the southwestern province of Aydın in a bid to protect pedestrians from careless drivers.

The crossings were painted on the Hürriyet Boulevard in the Efeler district of Aydın and the practice will be implemented across the province if deemed successful.

Speaking about the measures, Aydın Mayor Özlem Çerçioğlu said it was hoped that drivers will slow down because of the optical illusion caused by the special crosswalks.

“The security of pedestrians is very important for us. Many drivers put the lives of pedestrians in danger by not decreasing their speed at crosswalks,” said Çerçioğlu, a member of the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP).

She noted that the practice aims to raise awareness on the issue of pedestrian safety among drivers.

“With this new measure drivers will be more careful about the crossing of pedestrians,” Çerçioğlu said, adding that initially the “3D crosswalks” will be painted in areas near schools in order to prioritize the safety of children.

“As a municipality that realizes many pioneering projects, we are continuing to set an example for Turkey. We hope drivers will be more sensitive about the safety of pedestrians,” she added.

The issue of road accidents is among Turkey’s chronic problems, with the authorities often drawing up plans to try to address the issue.

Most recently, the authorities started to profile drivers most likely to cause road accidents, which kill around 7,500 people every year in the country.