Advantages Of SOLAR ROAD STUD Compared With Traditional Cats Eyes

The original reflective cat’s eye stud was invented in the 1930s by Yorkshireman Percy Shaw after he was inspired by the sight of his car headlamps reflected in the eyes of a cat. Traditional studs use reflectors or retroreflecting material which rely on headlight beams for their illumination.

Unlike conventional reflective road studs, the new solution does not have to depend on vehicle headlight efficiency to perform effectively,

Active studs use internal light-emitting diodes as their light source, so it has the capability to offer ten times greater visibility than the traditional ‘cat’s eyes’, enable drivers to clearly see up to 800m of the road ahead.

Mr. Lee, an experienced driver, said: “It is much less stressful driving when the road studs are used because I can see further ahead.”

The lights are capable of working for up to 10 days with just four hours of charge, and cost the same amount over the course of their life as traditional cats eyes.

Mr. Tan, president of the company says “We hope that they will become the norm, they have clear road safety benefits as well as other benefits to drivers. That’s why we are passionate about this.”

A survey of drivers who have used a stretch of road with intelligent road studs suggests the vast majority of drivers want the scheme to be replicated across all British roads.