Eye signs on the road
David Wade
So as to reduce accidents - amongst tourists, children and others - when crossing streets, white eyes and eyebrows, with the pupils painted in indicating which way to look, would be painted on the road surface.
David Wade is a writer of books on Islamic design. He suggests that 'ambi-perplexity' - his term for the confusion people have in telling their left from their right, which is the 'bane of all drill sergeants' - is a far more widespread condition than is generally recognised.
Children, tourists and sufferers from 'ambi-perplexity' all have their lives endangered, especially when crossing one-way streets, with traffic coming from an unexpected direction. 'Look Left' or 'Look Right' signs are not readily taken in, and the arrows sometimes used, although more direct, are ambiguous, because they can be taken to indicate the direction of traffic.
Wade suggests that eyes and pupils painted on the roads would save lives and would add to the growing stock of what Wade terms the 'international pictogram language', found on road signs, cleaning labels and so on, which is fast becoming like 'a Chinese esperanto of the eye.'
'Look Left or Look Right signs are not readily taken in, and the arrows sometimes used, although more direct, are ambiguous, because they can be taken to indicate the direction of traffic'
David Wade, Plas Tylwych, Tylwych, near Llanidloes, Powys, Wales (tel 0597 88627). This scheme won a Social Inventions Award.
Comment by Mr. M.J.Read
Mr M.J.Read, the director of road safety at the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents, comments: 'This suggestion is both simple and complete. We receive many many 'bright ideas', most of which are commendable in that they are trying to tackle the terrible road accident problem. Most, however, are usually impracticable for a variety of reasons. I have pleasure, therefore in commending this proposal.'
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