Until now, Virginia has lagged behind the District when it comes to enforcing speed limits in cool ways. While D.C. made use of highly effective (if incredibly obnoxious) speed camers and bone-rattling potholes to slow traffic down, Virginia battled leadfeet by banning fuzzbusters and posting interstate signs that read, “Speed Limit Enforced by Aircraft,” a statement no Commonwealth driver has ever understood or believed.

But we have to hand it to VDOT this time. According to today’s Post, the Virginia Department of Transportation has begun using optical illusions to slow speeders effectively and without issuing tickets. By placing reflective stripes at narrowing intervals along a particularly speedy section of road, VDOT hopes to trick drivers into believing they’re traveling faster than they really are, thus encouraging them to tap their brakes. These speed bars have been used in the UK, Texas, Kansas, and Mississippi with good results. Given the system’s relatively low cost (compared to, say, flying traffic cops), Virginia is hopeful that many dangerous roads and intersections can be improved in this way.

So, can D.C. continue to up the enforcement innovation ante? Perhaps — although between road construction, traffic circles, parking spot hunters, and inexplicable lane-blocking idlers, I remain amazed that anyone can find room to speed in the District at all.