RICHMOND, Va. — The Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles has installed a striking visual display to help drivers understand the deadly consequences of speeding: a 50-foot yellow ladder that demonstrates how speed translates to fatal impacts.
Standing five stories tall, the ladder installation at The Diamond illustrates that hitting a pedestrian at 40 mph creates the same impact as falling from 54 feet.
"This is a bold message and we want people to look at this ladder and feel the impact of speed in their gut," Brandy Brubaker with the Virginia DMV said.
The display, which will remain at the Diamond all weekend, marks different heights corresponding to various speeds: 40, 30, 20 and even 10 mph - to visualize the potential deadly force of vehicles.
"A lot of people don't think anything of going 40 miles an hour, but the impact of 40 miles an hour on a pedestrian is the same as falling 54 feet from the top of this ladder," Brubaker said.
The ladder display is part of a broader safety campaign that includes infrastructure changes across Richmond, such as speed cameras in school zones, red light cameras, and speed tables.
For most Richmond residents CBS 6 spoke with, the question of whether they would push someone off a 50-foot ladder received predictable responses.
"Definitely not," Jack Johnson said. "I don't think I've ever even seen a 50 foot ladder."
"I don't think so," Rodney McKnight said. "I have never put someone off of 50 foot ladder."
"I would never push someone off a 50-foot ladder," Zachary Mansueto said.
But for Alvin Costa Odou, the display represents a painful reality. Odou lost his best friend, Christopher King, in a high-speed crash where King wasn't wearing a seatbelt. Odou performed CPR trying to save his friend's life.
"It was the worst day of my life," Odou said.
Now dedicated to promoting safe driving, Odou believes the ladder demonstration effectively illustrates the dangers of speeding.
"Every mile an hour makes a huge difference. This is a great way to depict that," Odou said. "Every increase in speed is an exponential increase in your chances of fatality. Slow down on the roads and make sure everyone is safe. Everyone has mothers, sons, daughters. Everyone wants to make it home safe."
CBS 6 is committed to sharing community voices on this important topic. Email your thoughts to the CBS 6 Newsroom.
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