This Genius Device Makes It Easier For Elderly And Disabled People To Cross The Road

In Brazil, 3 out of every 10 car run-overs involve elderly people. The Brazilian Ministry of Health reported over 2,700 cases of run-over deaths for elderly people in 2012. The Curitiba City Hall wanted to make the roads safer and more accessible for the elderly and the disabled.

They roped in agency OpusMúltipla and created a special device that was attached to traffic light poles to give more time to elderly and disabled pedestrians to cross the road. All they had to do was swipe their senior citizen or disabled card and the crossing time would increase by 12 – 18 seconds. This figure was arrived at by researching almost 500 elderly people. Check it out in action below.

Excellent initiative and use of technology to help improve the lives of the elderly. As the news anchor says towards the end of the video:

It is a simple idea that makes the city more human. It reminds us that the city was made for people, not cars.

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