Pedestrians in Daye, Hubei province in Central China are now pushed to be vigilant as traffic police have set up water-spraying apparatuses last Monday, April 16, to deter people from jaywalking. As per reports by China Daily last April 20, the equipment was placed in an intersection in the city’s bustling downtown area and sprays water vapor to anyone walking through a red light.

“The machine has two systems with different functions. One is facial recognition; the other provides reminders and warnings,” Wan Xinqiang, deputy head of publicity for the Daye public security bureau, was quoted as saying. “It photographs people crossing against red lights and uploads the images to the police database to determine their identities. Meanwhile, a large electronic screen at the intersection will instantly display their photos.”

Apart from the water sprays, laser beams and an automated voice system will also give out warnings to jaywalkers.

On its first few days of use, Wan said that although there were still some who occasionally ran red lights, fewer people were found to have crossed them. “The equipment truly has had an obvious effect in preventing that.”

But while many netizens were concerned that the water sprays and lasers may create risks, Daye police assured that they have nothing to worry about.

“To avoid the laser hurting children’s eyes, we reduced the height from 1.2 meters to 0.8 meters. And because the spray is just water vapor, it will be safe for children and others,” Wan said. “The water in the sprinklers is clean. It will be changed every day.” Cody Cepeda/JB

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