Skip to main content

LED road studs aid level crossing safety

Active LED solar road studs supplied by Rennicks UK have been granted a Certificate of Acceptance by the authority responsible for the UK’s railways, paving the way for the studs to be installed at level crossings around the country. Rennicks say that the road studs are an intuitive signal to pedestrians, cyclists and drivers in the approach to and crossing the track. The studs use dual LEDs with an internal prismatic system for high performance and solar/battery technology for environmental sustaina
June 16, 2014 Read time: 2 mins
Active LED solar road studs supplied by Rennicks UK have been granted a Certificate of Acceptance by the authority responsible for the UK’s railways, paving the way for the studs to be installed at level crossings around the country.

Rennicks say that the road studs are an intuitive signal to pedestrians, cyclists and drivers in the approach to and crossing the track.

The studs use dual LEDs with an internal prismatic system for high performance and solar/battery technology for environmental sustainability. They create a brightly illuminated indication of the length and width of the crossing surface edges and are effective for both drivers and pedestrians during night-time hours or poor weather conditions.

According to Rennicks, the studs could be used as part of the measures designed to improve rail crossing safety following the publication of a report by the Transport Select Committee warning that many hundreds of crossings still pose an ‘unacceptable’ danger to the public. The Office of Rail Regulation, which is responsible for rail safety, is calling for innovative solutions such as the use of new technology, while MPs have been looking into a range of proposals to reduce risk, developed by experts at the Rail Safety and Standards Board (RSSB) and Transport Research Laboratory (491 TRL).

John Swift, Rennicks UK national sales manager, believes active LED road studs, said to be far more effective than traditional reflective units, can now provide part of the solution.

He said: “By granting a Certificate of Acceptance for the LED studs, 5021 Network Rail are showing they’re considering changes very carefully by using new technology that maybe wasn’t available before. We believe the use of these studs along with other measures, such as improved signage, can help reduce risk by providing better and intuitive information.”

“The studs are also Type Approved by the UK 1837 Department for Transport for road use, which means local authorities can now work with the same solution on the approaches to the crossings. This aids level crossings around the country providing key decision points for all users traversing a level crossing at night.”

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • ETSC welcomes EU plans for safer cars, vans and lorries
    December 20, 2016
    The European Commission has published a list of 19 lifesaving safety technologies that could be made mandatory on new vehicles in the next update of EU vehicle safety rules expected next year. The European Transport Safety Council (ETCS) welcomes the announcement but says several critical areas for action are missing, and the proposed timescale is far too long considering that most of the technologies are already available. ETSC says 26,000 people die on European Union roads annually, with at least
  • Temporary traffic monitoring with Bluetooth and wi-fi
    May 31, 2013
    David Crawford reviews developments in temporary ITS. Widespread take-up of technologies such as Bluetooth and wi-fi are encouraging the emergence of more sophisticated, while still cost effective, ITS responses to the traffic issues posed by temporary road situations such as work zones and special events. Andy Graham of traffic solutions specialists White Willow Consulting says: “A machine-to-machine radio link is far easier and cheaper than reading characters on a plate.” There can be other plusses. Tech
  • Trials of new technologies to counter age-old work zone challenges
    May 19, 2017
    New solutions are being used to improve the management and safety of work zones on roads both big and small, as Jon Masters discovers. The UK government has recently been going to some lengths to paint a picture of a nation embracing a future of digital technology – understandably given the economic concerns arising from exiting the European Union. In December last year, however, the UK National Infrastructure Commission (NIC) put down a somewhat different marker for where the UK is now in terms of mobile c
  • Solar power highlights Sernis' new road studs
    June 2, 2023
    SR-i19 and SR-i25 developed for road delineation, including bends and crosswalks