[divbzero]

> The road in the photo looks very narrow, an environment where drivers probably have to pay attention, maybe even slow down in general.

I’ve seen roads in Japan where the lines marking car lanes narrow as you approach crosswalks, creating the impression of an environment where drivers should slow down.

[WheatMillington]

It's a set of design features called Traffic Calming. It's widely used in New Zealand - using visual cues, narrowing, curves, obstacles and texture changes to slow traffic.