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Dutch Town Pilots Lightlines To Help Distracted Smartphone Users Cross the Road (autoexpress.co.uk)

Posted by msmash on from the humanity's-last-hope dept.

An anonymous reader writes: A Dutch municipality has introduced pedestrian traffic lights specifically designed to help smartphone users avoid stepping into traffic by displaying a colorful strip of light on the pavement. Built by Dutch firm HIG Traffic Systems, the new +LightLine light comes with a LED strip that illuminates the pavement with a horizontal strip before the road crossing. Smartphone users looking at their phone will see the color of the strip beneath their feet before stepping out into the road.

14 of 115 comments (clear)

  1. You know.. by epyT-R · · Score: 5, Insightful

    All these kludges do is breed better idiots. Time to let darwin clean house a bit.

    1. Re:You know.. by The-Ixian · · Score: 3, Interesting

      Now they just need to do the same for drivers.... move the traffic lights and road signs so that they can be seen while still looking down at your phone...

      --
      My eyes reflect the stars and a smile lights up my face.
    2. Re:You know.. by chefmonkey · · Score: 3, Interesting

      If you've been to Holland, you'll notice that the drivers are extremely careful -- it would be hard to get hit by a car. I'm certain these light-lines are to keep pedestrians from getting run over by bicycles. In Holland, I think bikes actually earn points, Deathrace-2000-style, for aiming at pedestrians.

    3. Re:You know.. by liquidsin · · Score: 2

      Surely bringing up events from forty-five years ago will counter his point about being stuck in the past.

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      do not read this line twice.
  2. Overkill to going to fix this? by rmdingler · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Smartphone users looking at their phone will see the colour of the strip beneath their feet before stepping out into the road.

    If the two separate eye-level light indicators and the survival instinct you've been genetically encoded with don't grab your attention, it seems unlikely a third, foot level light strip will do it.

    Let's be honest: You can be distracted merely thinking about something else when you should be paying attention. Hell, a driver who is paying attention might very well prevent a pedestrian impact... should we now then beam "Warning! Pedestrian!" into the vehicle's stereo speakers?

    --
    Happiness in intelligent people is the rarest thing I know.

    Ernest Hemingway

  3. Cheaper than this... by Hulfs · · Score: 3, Funny

    At least it's probably cheaper than the 120K EUR squirrel bridge near The Hague and will get used more than 5 times:

    http://www.dailymail.co.uk/new...

  4. You're Making It Worse by Baby+Duck · · Score: 4, Insightful

    This teaches the wrong behavior and makes them less prepared for roads without lightlines or malfunctioning lightlines.

    --

    "Love heals scars love left." -- Henry Rollins

  5. Oblig by fyngyrz · · Score: 2

    Obligatory

    --
    I've fallen off your lawn, and I can't get up.
  6. Darwin is not pleased by argStyopa · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Seriously, at what point do we finally just let stupid people kill themselves?

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    -Styopa
  7. There's already an app for this by Drunkulus · · Score: 4, Funny

    Check out iLook for road crossing assistance. The basic version performs an effective real-time check for oncoming traffic. iLook Pro looks both ways.

    1. Re:There's already an app for this by Radical+Moderate · · Score: 2

      I sooooo hope this is humor, but I'm too afraid to check the store because I don't think I could live with the disappointment.

      --
      Never let a lack of data get in the way of a good rant.
  8. Re:done with user friendly by Calydor · · Score: 2

    Not to mention the lawsuits when someone gets hit by a car because the light strip was malfunctioning. You know, instead of stopping to look BOTH WAYS before crossing the street like we were taught when we were three years old.

    Seriously, that is what smartphones do: They make adults dumber than a three year old kid. This just proves it.

    --
    -=This sig has nothing to do with my comment. Move along now=-
  9. Better idea by nwaack · · Score: 4, Interesting

    I've got a better idea. Rather than warning strips, they should install cameras to take pictures of the idiots that are too addicted to their phones to obey traffic signals. Then they should post those pictures on the internet so we can publicly shame them. After all, most phone addicts only care about one thing more than their phone, and that's how others feel about their online persona.

  10. How about those that bump into people? by hughbar · · Score: 2

    Not joking. I live in London, we've tried a couple of experiments by just stopping, as one does, and morons on mobiles (may I suggest the hashtag #moronsonmobiles) just bump into you. A few apologise, most do not. So, let's get rid of the lot. Nothing that you need to do on your phone is that important, even looking at pictures of cats.

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    On y va, qui mal y pense!