Skip to main content

Solar studs receive DfT approval

Rennicks UK has achieved full Department for Transport (DfT) Type Approval for their SR-15 active road studs, which use LED and solar technology to create highly effective highway delineation said to be far more effective than traditional retro-reflective studs. The DfT authorisation, which follows a year-long trial, is likely to have far-reaching implications in both Britain and further afield, opening the door for local authorities and management contractors searching for cost-effective and sustainable
March 31, 2014 Read time: 2 mins
Rennicks UK has achieved full 1837 Department for Transport (DfT) Type Approval for their SR-15 active road studs, which use LED and solar technology to create highly effective highway delineation said to be far more effective than traditional retro-reflective studs.

The DfT authorisation, which follows a year-long trial, is likely to have far-reaching implications in both Britain and further afield, opening the door for local authorities and management contractors searching for cost-effective and sustainable ways to improve current delineation methods.

LED active road studs have been shown to enhance safety and be a more sustainable and economical method of delineation during night-time hours or inclement weather conditions.  The self-contained solar cells are charged by sunlight, require no maintenance at all and are made from 100 per cent polycarbonate, which stood up to 33,000 vehicles per day during the trial. The company says they provide the ideal solution as they are proven to be visible at a distance of 1 kilometre, roughly ten times that of a traditional retroreflective stud.

John Swift, of Rennicks UK, hailed news of the approval as ‘hugely significant’ for the industry, saying that it gives authorities and contractors the assurance that the studs will meet all of the requirements laid down by the DfT.

“We are the first company in Europe to have a product tested to the new draft standard and it’s a massive achievement,” he said.

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Speed reduction measures - carrot or stick?
    January 23, 2012
    In Sweden, marketing company DDB Stockholm employed a mock speed camera as part of a promotional campaign for automotive manufacturer Volkswagen. The result was worldwide online interest and promotion of the debate over excessive speed to the national level. A developing trend in traffic management policy is to look at how to induce road users to modify their behaviour by incentivising change rather than forcing it through the application of penalties. There have been several studies conducted into this; an
  • Need for simpler urban tolling solutions
    January 10, 2013
    A common assumption, even amongst informed observers, is that there’s but a handful of urban charging schemes in operation around the world and scant prospect of that changing any time soon. Larger city-sized schemes such as Singapore, London and Stockholm come readily to mind but if we take a wider view and also consider urban access control and Low Emission Zones (LEZs) then the picture changes rather radically. There is a notable concentration of such schemes in Europe but worldwide the number is comfort
  • More than half of UK’s new cars sold with autonomous safety tech
    April 4, 2016
    Self driving cars may seem years away, but more than 1.5 million UK motorists a year now leave showrooms in cars featuring self-activating safety systems, according to analysis revealed by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT).

    Data from SMMT and JATO Dynamics shows that more than half of new cars registered in 2015 were fitted with safety-enhancing collision warning systems, with other technologies such as adaptive cruise control, autonomous emergency braking and blind spot monitoring also surging in popularity.
  • Report highlights community impact of new mobility options
    March 29, 2018
    Local authorities and communities must understand the impacts of the new mobility options and regulate to get the transport systems they want, according to a new report. Colin Sowman takes a look. Outside of the big cities plagued with congestion, the existing transportation system(s) often cope adequately, and the ongoing workload (maintenance, safety…) is more than enough to keep local transport authorities busy. Is it, therefore, a good use of public service employees’ time to keep abreast of the raft