A new generation of “intelligent” illuminated roadstuds to guide drivers around junctions is being installed to reduce the number of crashes.
Highways England is introducing studs in the road that are synchronised with traffic lights and become visible when the green light appears.
The scheme is being introduced at one of England’s busiest motorway junctions and could be extended across the country at roundabouts with the highest accident rates. Cables under the road surface connect the roadstuds with traffic lights. When the green signal appears, LEDs are illuminated to guide cars around the roundabout then switch off when the light turns red.
According to Highways England, the studs are visible from up to 1,000 metres away — far further than traditional roadstuds that rely on reflections from headlights — and are designed to stop drivers drifting between lanes at confusing junctions.
The technology is being introduced as part of a £3 million project to improve safety at Switch Island in Merseyside, where the M57, M58 and three A roads meet. More than 90,000 vehicles a day use the junction.
Advertisement
Some 49 collisions have been reported at the junction in the past two years, almost one a fortnight.
Highways England has already installed a smart system at the Hindhead Tunnel in Surrey to guide drivers through it, although the Switch Island scheme will be the first time that they have been linked to traffic lights at a motorway junction. Phil Tyrrell, project manager at Highways England, said: “We’re always looking for new ways to further improve journeys and safety for drivers, and I hope the new intelligent cat’s eyes will help better guide drivers around Switch Island.
“The innovative light-up roadstuds, along with the other improvements we’re introducing, will make it much easier to navigate the junction, benefiting the tens of thousands of drivers who travel through it every day.” Catseyes were invented by Percy Shaw in 1933 after he was driving down a steep winding road in West Yorkshire and noticed his headlights reflecting in the eyes of a cat.
The new intelligent roadstuds were designed by the Oxfordshire-based company Clearview Intelligence. Nick Lanigan, the managing director, said: “The introduction of intelligent roadstuds reacting to traffic light changes on a busy roundabout is a continuation of the traditional Catseye legacy but takes advantage of new technology available.
“The new studs have been proven to reduce lane transgression by over 50 per cent in certain conditions so it’s a great way to help improve the safety for all road users.”