It’s a fair copy… cardboard police car tackles speeding
A SPANISH road signage company is being investigated by police after using a realistic cut-out to represent a patrol car in an attempt to slow down traffic.
Video emerged on social media last week showing drivers reducing their speed as they passed the 3D hoarding – complete with blue flashing lights – parked in a lane closed by bollards due to road improvement work.
The footage alerted Guardia Civil officers from Albacete, southeastern Spain, to what they believe is an unauthorised use of their image.
After putting an end to the experiment, the Guardia Civil said: “That car is not official. The Guardia Civil does not have cardboard cars.”
A spokesman for the Spanish police force told The Daily Telegraph: “We are investigating whether there was an authorisation of the use of the Guardia Civil brand from the provincial authority in Albacete.”
However, the signage firm that had the patrol car made out of PVC – reportedly at a cost of €700 euros (£593) – claimed the initiative had the potential to improve road safety, noting that all drivers slowed down noticeably when approaching the fake vehicle.
A manager of the unnamed company told Atlas Media news agency: “We have provided the idea. If someone wants to run with it, then that would be great.”
The company’s objective was to slow traffic to protect its employees as they worked on the closed lane on a dual carriageway outside Albacete.
Other countries have used cardboard mock-up police cars to dissuade drivers from speeding, including Turkey and New Zealand.
According to Spain’s DGT road safety organisation, one in five fatal road accidents are directly linked to excessive speed.