Updated at 3:08 p.m., Sunday, December 23, 2007
Zigzag marking installed near Kalanianaole School
Advertiser Staff
To encourage motorists to slow down near a school, the Traffic division of Public Works on the Big Island recently installed zigzag stripes on either side of the road.Tests conducted by Public Works in 2005, listed 30 crashes at specific intersections over 34 months. By replacing the straight lines with zigzag stripes, accidents were reduced to zero in the next 14 months, county officials said.
Zigzag stripes are designed to capture the attention of motorists who slow down to look at them as they approach the crosswalk near Kalaniana'ole School.
Hawai'i County officials said the geometric marks are placed before the crosswalk and the driver slows to notice these non-traditional markings, which are so different.
Cost is $1,002 to mark both sides of the road and work is done by the County of Hawai'i staff.
"Drivers who didn't stop, later admitted to the Police, they were unaware of the stop sign and crashed into oncoming traffic who were traveling at 45 mph," said Ron Thiel, division chief of Traffic at Public Works on the Big Island.
