On the noisy streets of some South American cities, police have a new ally in their efforts to encourage drivers and pedestrians to follow traffic laws: mimes.

The brightly-dressed mimes in cities such as Caracas, Venezuela and Sao Paulo, Brazil silently admonish rule-breakers with gestures as simple as a wagging finger or by encouraging drivers to stop, slow down or otherwise change their reckless driving habits.

Officials hope that using these visible, less-threatening methods will help make the streets safer in a more congenial way.

[Yahoo via Time]

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