To dampen jaywalking, city turns to water spray

Traffic police in Daye, Hubei province, set up water-spraying equipment near a crosswalk on Monday to stop people from jaywalking. The targeted mists have an obvious effect, local police said.

The equipment was set up at an intersection in the city's downtown area. It consists of five pylons arranged along the road. The lower three spray water vapor when sensors indicate someone is walking through a red light.

"The machine has two systems with different functions. One is facial recognition; the other provides reminders and warnings," said Wan Xinqiang, deputy head of publicity for the Daye public security bureau. "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."