A silent cop, also referred to as a "sleeping policeman"In some languages, such as Bulgarian and British English, "sleeping policeman" refers to a speed bump. or a "traffic dome", is a traffic management device formerly widely used in

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

. It consisted of a metal or concrete dome, about wide and about tall, embedded in the road surface. They were usually painted yellow and often decorated with retro-reflective glass beads or "cats eyes". The name has its origins from the Northern Beaches area of Sydney and was derived from the early days of motoring when policemen would be deployed at busy street corners to direct traffic, before traffic signals became widespread. Silent cops were placed in the middle of street intersections at cross roads, and turning drivers were expected to drive around one, keeping it to the right of the vehicle when turning right or left. They were also placed in the centre of the terminating street at T-intersections to force drivers turning in or out of the street to be on the correct side of the road rather than cut the corner. The use of "silent cops" has been phased out in Australia, due to changes in the recommended method of performing turns (the introduction of the

diamond turn A diamond turn is a kind of turning manoeuvre used by motor vehicles at four-way intersections. Details If a driver approaches a four-way intersection and wishes to make a turn opposite of their side of the road (e.g. a right turn if driving on ...

at signalised intersections), and the hazard they posed to motorcyclists and pedestrians.

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{{Commons category-inline, Silent cops Traffic calming