Road studs are one of the most important devices to prevent cars from drifting off the road or their lanes and to make our roads safer. Road studs reflect light from a car's headlights, allowing drivers to see the curves and corners of the road from a distance. Even in the dark, drivers can easily see the route, end point and corners of the road and determine where to turn, which road lane to use, and thus drive safely. This makes road studs very useful on poorly lit roads. They provide effective nighttime guidance even in poor weather conditions.
In addition, these road studs are used as lane markers. When a car runs over them, the bumps are transmitted to the interior of the car and occupants always notice them. This means that if a car drifts from one lane to another, the driver will be alerted and can take corrective action.
You'll also find road studs installed at crosswalks. These provide drivers approaching a vehicle with clear indications of where pedestrians are crossing the road. Below you will find a description of the types of road studs.
Aluminum Road Studs: As the name suggests, aluminum road studs have an aluminum housing with reflective objects inside. These are strong and durable. They are suitable for installation in the middle of the road.
Plastic road studs: Plastic road studs are made of plastic and have a reflective material. They are not as strong as aluminum road studs and are less durable. They can be used in the centerline of roads, on the sides of highways and on bridges.
Glass road studs: Solid glass road studs are made of hardened safety glass. The bottom of the reflector is covered with a coating that provides a reflective effect. Incident light is reflected 360 degrees by the reflector in the exact same direction as it came from. This means that the glass road stud reflects light from the vehicle back to the road user from all angles.
Solar Road Studs: Solar road studs are topped with solar panels, and the batteries are charged by sunlight during the day. At night, their LEDs begin to glow. They may or may not have small reflectors, but they are more visible due to the bright LEDs. Solar road stud can be easily viewed from a greater distance than other types of road studs.
Reflective Materials
Reflectors and plastic reflectors: These are suitable for short-term projects because they have a short lifespan and lose their reflective properties over time. Road studs with these reflective materials are more suitable for road projects where they are more frequent than other materials.
Glass beads: Glass beads are more durable than reflective sheeting and plastic reflectors. They do not need to be replaced as often and are more suitable for long-term projects.
The distance rule between two reflective road studs varies by country/region. The distance between two reflective catenaries on a road is determined by the type of road. On highways, it is usually 9 m - 18 m, depending on the radius of the horizontal/vertical curve of the roadway.
