A NEW ROAD SAFETY PROJECT in Canada aims to shock speeding drivers into slowing down by projecting an image of a child on the road in front of them.

The project is being – forgive the pun – road tested in Vancouver.

The image of a small girl chasing a pink ball is painted on the road an appears elongated to pedestrians. An optical illusion makes the image come to life for drivers, appearing 3D and lifelike to approaching vehicles.

The picture is being posted near a school in west Vancouver and will remain in place for just one week to draw attention to child pedestrians as kids return to school.

The campaign is being organised by safety advocacy group Preventable and the British Columbia Automobile Association, and aims to reduce the 27,000 preventable injuries sustained by British Columbia residents in western Canada.

The BCAA says that school zones can be one of the most dangerous places for children, and warns parents that the biggest risk to child pedestrians is from parents who make u-turns and let their children out of the car into oncoming traffic.