SYDNEY: Ground-level traffic lights for pedestrians constantly looking down at smartphones are set to be trialled in Sydney as Australian authorities seek to drive down the road death toll.
It comes amid alarm about rising road fatalities this year, with officials launching the “Towards Zero” advertising campaign this week to increase awareness about accident rates.
In addition, the New South Wales government is shelling out Aus$250,000 (US$181,000) to test “in-ground traffic-light technology” at key crossings in Sydney’s central business district, the state’s Roads Minister Duncan Gay said.
“Pedestrians are less protected in a road crash, and are therefore more likely to be seriously injured or killed,” NSW Centre for Road Safety’s executive director Bernard Carlon said in a statement sent to AFP Thursday.
“This is why we need to create a road system that keeps them safe, and this includes situations when they may not be paying attention. The lights are aimed at pedestrians using mobile phones who are not looking where they are walking.”
