Can dodgy paint work slow down speeders? That’s the question being tested by angry French townspeople.

A group of residents have taken matters – and tins of white paint – into their own hands. They have drawn squiggly lines on the approaches to a notorious intersection in France in a bizarre attempt to stop speeders .

War paint

The angry residents are from the small rural town of Baune, about 300km south-west of Paris. They say some drivers blast through the intersection at up to – or in excess of – the 30km/h speed limit. Some estimate the worst offenders are clipping 100km/h or more a they pas through.

There is so much white paint it is difficult to determine which are the genuine line markings, including the line at which vehicles are supposed to stop. While safety experts say the random markings could confuse drivers and introduce a new danger, the mayor claims the squiggly lines “are working”.

Fake it to make it

This is not the only example of usual road-safety measures introduced by angry locals.

In the US last week, neighbours were frustrated by drivers speeding in their street. They painted a community book-sharing cupboard to look like a speed camera, and perched it by the roadside. Looking similar to and, where, a real speed camera would be located.

However, US authorities took exception to the vigilante move and ordered it be removed.

Several years ago, in the inner-west Sydney suburb of Marrickville, the council erected a fake “No Right Turn Camera” sign at an intersection. At the time the technology did not actually exist.

NSW road safety authorities ordered the sign about the fake intersection camera be taken down.