Road safety campaign uses XL ladder to highlight speed risks

Virginia’s Department of Motor Vehicles has taken a bold visual approach to raise awareness about the dangers of speeding – installing a 50-foot yellow ladder at The Diamond stadium in Richmond.

The ladder, which equates the impact of vehicle speeds to falling from various heights, is designed to show that being hit at 40 mph is comparable to a fall from 54 feet.

The installation includes markers for 10, 20, 30, and 40 mph.

“This is a bold message and we want people to look at this ladder and feel the impact of speed in their gut,” said DMV spokesperson Brandy Brubaker.

images via Bailey Grandis

The campaign, by twotango collaborative, aims to help drivers understand how speed increases the severity of collisions, especially involving pedestrians.

For Alvin Costa Odou, the display carries personal weight. He lost his best friend in a high-speed crash and now advocates for safer driving.

“Every mile an hour makes a huge difference,” Odou said. “This is a great way to depict that.”

Residents who encountered the ladder were unanimous when asked if they would push someone off a 50-foot height.

Their responses helped underscore the campaign’s message: speeding can have consequences as severe as a high fall—something most people instinctively avoid.

The Virginia DMV hopes that making the risk tangible will encourage drivers to slow down and consider the impact of every mile per hour.

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