The bane of motorists across the country is slowly going high tech, bringing traffic control into the 21st century.

An “intelligent” speed bump is being installed for a trial run in the Panorama neighborhood of León, Guanajuato, replacing a tope, as they are called in Spanish, a lump of concrete on the roadway that either slows down motorists or destroys their vehicle’s suspension if they fail to spot it in time.

The new, dynamic tope is equipped with a system that allows it to detect the speed of an oncoming vehicle. Those travelling under the 40 km/h limit will pass freely without having to slow for a speed bump, but motorists exceeding the limit will be forced to slow down when the speed bump rises from the surface of the road.

The tope will also be raised during opening and closing times at a nearby school, and pedestrians will be able to control it with the press of a button to allow them to cross the road in safety.

The trial will run for three months, after which the municipality will analyze its viability and determine the possibility of installing more of them on other thoroughfares.

Intelligent speed bumps have already been installed in Morelia, Michoacán, and Puebla.

Source: Periódico Correo (sp), Mi Morelia (sp)