What are the benefits of road studs?

DATE:2025-03-17

Road studs are a small but important component in the vast system of road safety. They stand silently on the road, guiding pedestrians and motorists in the dark or in bad weather. So what are the specific benefits of road studs? Let's find out.

solar road studs enhancing safety with low energy use

Understanding Road Studs

What are road studs?

Road studs are small reflective devices that are installed on roads to improve visibility at night or in poor weather conditions. They are widely used on all types of roads in the UK and around the world.

Types of road studs

Passive road studs

These work by virtue of the reflective material on their surface. When a car is traveling, the light from the headlights hits the stud and is reflected back, allowing the driver to see the road more clearly. The principle is similar to the reflection of a cat's eyes in the dark, so it is also known as a cat's eye road stud, and its inventor, Percy Shaw, was inspired by the phenomenon of cat's eye reflection to create it.

Active road stud

The active stud is equipped with LED lights that not only reflect light but also actively illuminate the road to warn drivers of potential hazards. The stud has a built-in battery, which is recharged daily by a solar panel, and lights up automatically as the sun goes down.

Benefits of Road Studs

Increased safety and driver confidence

Critical areas illuminated

Active solar road studs significantly increase visibility in critical areas of the road, such as intersections and curves. In the dark, these brightly lit road studs clearly outline the road, giving drivers an early indication of the road ahead.

Advance Road Condition Prediction

With active studs, drivers have a better sense of what's ahead of them and a longer road preview time, allowing them to react faster to unexpected situations.

Reducing the effects of glare

Active studs are especially important for drivers who are sensitive to glare or contrast. It helps drivers see the road ahead clearly and avoid obstructed vision due to glare from other vehicles' headlights.

Reducing accident rates

The accident situation is critical

According to the World Health Organization, more than 1.3 million people are killed in road traffic accidents every year. Poor visibility at night and lack of awareness of road hazards are important factors that contribute to accidents.

The key role of road studs

Active solar road studs reduce nighttime accidents by up to 70% by clearly delineating roads and lanes, providing a strong guarantee of road safety.

Improvements to traffic flow

In an earlier study at the Shirreffs Hall traffic circle on the A720 in Scotland, actively controlled road studs were used and synchronized with the A720 traffic signals at the traffic circle. When the traffic signal at the entrance to the traffic circle turned green, the studs embedded in the road surface came on to guide vehicles to the correct traffic circle lane; when the signal turned red, the pins on the corresponding section of the road went out; when the next signal turned green, the pins on the next section of the road came on. The use of the studs resulted in a 60% reduction in partial lane violations and a 45% reduction in complete lane deviations. This demonstrates that the studs improve lane discipline and make traffic flow more predictable, which in turn reduces unnecessary accidents.

Actively controlled road studs linked to traffic signals significantly optimize traffic flow. When the signals change, the road studs light up or go out in response, providing vehicles with a clear indication of their travel path. This makes it clearer to drivers which lane they should be traveling in at different times of the day and enhances lane discipline. Vehicles are guided by the studs in a more orderly manner, which greatly improves the predictability of traffic flow, reduces congestion and confusion caused by unclear driving paths, and allows for smoother and more efficient road movement.

road studs on a nighttime road improving lane visibility

Durability and low maintenance costs

Excellent durability

Strong material: Solar road studs are made of high-quality materials such as aluminum or polycarbonate. Aluminum has excellent strength and corrosion resistance and can withstand long-term crushing and wear and tear of vehicles, not easy to deform and damage. Polycarbonate is known for its high toughness and impact resistance and can maintain structural integrity in the face of the frequent passage of heavy vehicles.

Waterproof and Dustproof Design

The studs adopt a well-designed waterproof and dustproof structure, and their shells are tightly sealed, effectively blocking the intrusion of rain and dust. Whether it is pouring rain or sand and dust, the internal electronic components and batteries can be properly protected to ensure that in harsh natural environments they can still work stably, with long-term maintenance of excellent performance.

Extremely low maintenance costs

Automatic energy replenishment: The solar panel on top of the stud is like a tireless “energy collector,” automatically capturing sunlight every day, converting solar energy into electricity, and storing it efficiently in the built-in battery. This process is fully automated, without the need for manual charging operations, greatly reducing the human and material resources invested in energy replenishment.

Long-life components

As the light-emitting core of the stud, the LED light has an extremely long service life. The advanced manufacturing process and high-quality materials make the LED light able to continue to emit light stably for many years under normal use. This means that there is no need to replace the LED lamps frequently during the life cycle of the stud, which significantly reduces the cost of purchasing parts and labor replacement in the maintenance process. At the same time, due to the high stability of the solar panels and batteries, it also reduces the number of repairs and costs due to equipment failure, truly realizing the advantages of low maintenance costs.

Solar road studs for nighttime illumination

Working Principle of Road Studs

How reflective road studs work?

Reflective road studs are embedded with reflective materials such as glass beads or reflective film. When the light of a car hits the surface of the stud, the light is reflected by the reflective material and returns to the driver's line of sight, thus enhancing the visibility of the road marking. Since reflective road studs rely on external light sources (e.g., vehicle headlights), they are commonly used at night or in low-light environments.

The light-emitting mechanism of solar road studs

Energy Harvesting and Storage: The solar panels installed on top of the solar-powered LED road studs absorb solar energy during the day and convert it into electricity, which is stored in the built-in battery.

Auto-luminescence: At night or in low-visibility weather (e.g., rainy or foggy days), the stud activates the LED lights through the built-in photocell or time controller to actively light up, forming a continuous visible bright spot to guide the vehicle. Some of the solar road studs also have a sensor function, which can adjust the brightness or blinking frequency according to the ambient light or traffic conditions, thus improving the energy utilization efficiency and practicality.

The Different Types and Benefits of Road Studs

Plastic road stud

Plastic road studs, also known as plastic raised pavement markings. They are topped with a reflective material that enhances visibility in low-light conditions, such as at night. These types of potholes contain material that glows in the dark and can be seen even when not illuminated by vehicle headlights. They can be easily spotted from a longer distance than other types of road studs.

LED solar road studs

Environmental protection and energy saving: The solar panel on top of the LED stud charges during the day and glows at night, utilizing solar energy directly, which is both environmentally friendly and economical.

Excellent durability: They can withstand regular rain and snow and can be used on most roads without fear of being crushed or damaged. This durable catenary road safety device can be powered by batteries or solar panels.

Driving Aid: LED road studs are commonly used to help drivers navigate around curves and quickly identify road boundaries, effectively improving nighttime highway visibility.

Solar studs

The Solar stud emphasizes its solar charging mechanism and energy efficiency. As mentioned earlier, it relies on solar power for long-term stable performance and low-maintenance features, reducing reliance on traditional energy sources and lowering maintenance costs.

Aluminum road stud

Aluminum road studs offer excellent durability and strength, making them particularly suitable for areas with high traffic volumes. The material is robust and can withstand frequent vehicle traffic. In addition, some aluminum studs may have a unique reflective or illuminated design that further enhances their role as a warning and guide on the road.

Parking studs

Parking studs are primarily used in parking lots to guide vehicles and prevent collisions. They are set up in specific areas of a parking lot to help drivers park accurately and ensure traffic order and vehicle safety in the parking lot.

Road studs play an important role in improving driver confidence, optimizing traffic flow, enhancing road safety, ensuring durability, and reducing maintenance costs. Different types of road studs have their own advantages and are suitable for different road scenarios. With the continuous advancement of technology, road studs are expected to provide better services to road users in the future, and we should continue to explore their application potential in various road conditions to further enhance road safety.

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