Japan Town Installs Eye-Catching Road Markings To Encourage Safe Driving at Crosswalk

The Yomiuri Shimbun

17:14 JST, July 31, 2023

A red and yellow checkered pattern has been applied to a road just before a pedestrian crossing in Chiryu, Aichi Prefecture.

The pattern, which also has blue and yellow versions, is expected to attract the attention of car and motorcycle drivers to help encourage them to stop or slow down.

Despite heavy traffic on the road, there are no traffic lights at the crosswalks, some of which are on school routes. The checkered pattern was painted in late June as part of a social experiment with the cooperation of Prof. Koji Suzuki of the Nagoya Institute of Technology, who is an expert in traffic engineering, and local companies.

Some residents in the neighborhood have said that cars now stop more often than before. “This simple idea may reduce the number of accidents, and we would like to confirm its effectiveness during the social experiment, which will last until October,” said Suzuki.