Skip to main content

High-tech road studs can help tackle accident trend

According to road safety engineer Alan Vass of the Traffic and Road Safety section of Ayrshire Roads Alliance in Scotland, LED road studs have contributed to a 100 per cent reduction in incidents on a stretch of the A719 road in the county. Vass says the active studs, which use LED and solar technology to create delineation shown to be far more effective than traditional retro-reflective studs, could hold the key to a brighter future. He said: “There had been a number of accidents on the A719 near Wat
October 3, 2014 Read time: 2 mins
According to road safety engineer Alan Vass of the Traffic and Road Safety section of Ayrshire Roads Alliance in Scotland, LED road studs have contributed to a 100 per cent reduction in incidents on a stretch of the A719 road in the county.

Vass says the active studs, which use LED and solar technology to create delineation shown to be far more effective than traditional retro-reflective studs, could hold the key to a brighter future.

He said: “There had been a number of accidents on the A719 near Waterside village in Ayrshire and the council wanted to do all they could to address the issue.

“The road is predominantly straight but also has a series of fairly sharp bends and we were keen to enhance safety whilst limiting impact on the environment in a rural area.

“We installed LED active studs and statistics prove we’ve seen dramatic results.

“I think it won’t be long before other authorities look at what East Ayrshire Council has done and realise the technology could have similar positive implications for them.”

Supplied by Rennicks UK, some 180 of the solar-recharged battery-powered SR-15 Active Road Studs were installed, providing bright delineation and advance warning of bends. The units, which contain two bi-directional LEDs, highlight both the horizontal and vertical geometry of the road and help improve visibility of the centre and carriageway edges, while a rumble effect warns drivers who encroach on to the opposite carriageway.

Studies showed four injury accidents on the major semi-rural road in just three years prior to the studs being installed and there have been no reported incidents since.

Vass added: “It’s clear the scheme contributed towards a fantastic reduction in the number of reported injury accidents and the site continues to perform well in all weather conditions.

“The studs remain bright and clearly highlight each lane, enhancing safety by aiding night-time driving and particularly during rainy, snowy or foggy weather.

“Ayrshire Roads Alliance has received very positive feedback from local residents and commuters and the studs will without doubt be considered for future road safety schemes.”

Related Content

  • Drover AI’s Alex Nesic: ‘We’re still in the basement level of micromobility’
    April 12, 2022
    The micromobility revolution has reshaped the way we get around cities, but it has created some problems too. Drover AI’s PathPilot is here to help cities – and pedestrians – Alex Nesic tells Adam Hill
  • After two decades of research, ITS is getting into its stride
    June 4, 2015
    Colin Sowman gets the global view on how ITS has shaped the way we travel today and what will shape the way we travel tomorrow. Over the past two decades the scope and spread of intelligent transport systems has grown and diversified to encompass all modes of travel while at the same time integrating and consolidating. Two decades ago the idea of detecting cyclists or pedestrians may have been considered impossible and why would you want to do that anyway? Today cyclists can account for a significant propor
  • Truck camera technology trial hailed a success
    November 26, 2014
    A three-month trial of 360-degree camera technology carried out by Brigade Electronics and Continental has been hailed a success by the two companies. Said to be the first trial of the technology on a fleet of large articulated heavy goods vehicles (HGVs), the project used the Brigade Backeye360 Elite system with Continental’s powerful ASL360 camera system on a fleet of rigid and articulated HGVs owned by UK retailer Marks and Spencer. Backeye360 Elite uses four ultra-wide angle camera lenses mounted
  • Observing driver behaviour in real traffic condition
    March 16, 2016
    The EU’s UDRIVE project will investigate driver behaviour in terms of road safety and the decarbonisation of road transport, as Nicole van Nes and Silvia Curbelo explain. There were nearly 25,700 fatalities on European Union (EU) roads in 2014 or, to look it another way, roughly 70 people are killed in traffic accidents on European roads every day - and many more are injured. Around 22% of the fatalities are pedestrians, 15% will be motorcycle riders and 8% cyclists. So despite the improvements in road safe