Slow down, dummy! Authorities using mannequins as deterrent for speeders, bad drivers

DOUGLAS COUNTY, Colo. – The Douglas County Sheriff’s Office has two new staff members whose sole purpose is to cut down on speeding and poor driving, and they’ve been rather effective so far despite being a couple of dummies.

“Hank” and “Charlie” are actual dummies. But they’ve helped reduce speeds along roads in Douglas County where they’ve been recently deployed by about 5 percent, the sheriff’s office says.

The sheriff’s office occasionally dresses the two dummies up as deputies and will sit them in patrol cars along roads that have higher crash and speeding rates.

“We use them in designated areas that have been determined as high crash areas as a deterrent to bad driving and a reminder to people to pay attention to their driving behavior,” said Douglas County Sheriff’s Office spokeswoman Lauren LeKander.

The sheriff’s office says the program is a pilot program -- one of several aimed at figuring out how to reduce speeding and crash rates.