The village of Baune, near the city of Angers in the Maine-et-Loire region of France, has painted its roads with huge, white squiggly lines to stop cars from speeding. The bizarre and novel approach to preventing dangerous driving has helped the small French village go viral on social media. Some local residents initially thought the random squiggles adorning their roads were an abstract art project.
However, authorities soon clarified that the zig-zag lines were intended to slow drivers down in a 30kph (19mph) zone.
It is hoped that the markings, introduced in July, would make the road more confusing to drivers, prompting them to slow down.
The squiggles were painted on road sections leading to a T-junction in the village.
The markings appeared to have done their job, according to the village’s mayor, Audrey Revereault.
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She said the number of cars caught driving above the speed limit has dramatically dropped since the lines were introduced.
Ms Revereault said the officials had hoped the markings would “create a visual disturbance” and slow drivers down.
Jean-Charles Prono, the mayor of Loire-Authion, a group of seven villages that includes Baune, said that the driving in the village sometimes reached 50kph, causing huge safety concerns among locals.
He added: “It is a town of 1,700 inhabitants which is crossed by three main county roads and specifically at this area, there are two.
“People drive fast and it’s complicated to get people to slow down and to have road signs that work.”
He added that the goal was “to make it difficult to read the landscape”.
However, many locals were divided about the lines
Many posted on the local Facebook page ‘Ca bouge sur Bauné’ to share their views.
One local resident, Rachel Decaux, remarked: “Personally, I don’t like driving on it. It turns my stomach like seasickness.”
Popo Benoist commented: “I think it’s going to be more dangerous than anything else.”
Several said the immediate drop in speeding in the area was only temporary until motorists became familiar with the lines.
Mr Prono said that the authorities had already ruled out building speed bumps due to concern about noise in the village.
