What a Stud!
The latest in Britain’s ever-greening roadways: Astucia SolarLite “smart” road studs, in-road lights outfitted with a tiny solar panel, an LED light, and reflective surface said to improve visibility tenfold after-hours. Eco-friendly and safer? We’re in.
Dotting U.K. roadways in Scotland, Wales, Buckinghamshire, Norfolk, and Oxfordshire, the studs store solar energy during the day and automatically illuminate up to half a mile (900 meters) of visibility for drivers from dusk to dawn.
According to a news release issued by Astucia Traffic Safety Systems, the “road stud extends driver reaction times from 3.2 to over 30 seconds, when driving at 60 mph.” Plus, local authorities have reported a 70 percent reduction in nighttime accidents since the installation of the SolarLite studs.
The release also cites research by the Transport Research Laboratory, which shows that when the smart studs are used, drivers are significantly less likely to cross the center white line or to speed into the corners in addition to braking earlier and more consistently.
Such eco-friendly light studs could do wonders for the pitch-black back roads of my native Iowa, not to mention the sanity of worrisome mothers.
Thanks to EcoGeek for getting the scoop!
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