Washington State testing Astucia SolarLite road studs

This weekend, Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) maintenance crews plan to install Astucia SolarLite solar-powered road studs as part of a test project on the centerline of a stretch of SR 530 which has a history of run-off-the-road collisions.
January 31, 2012 Read time: 1 min

This weekend, 451 Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) maintenance crews plan to install 1875 Astucia SolarLite solar-powered road studs as part of a test project on the centerline of a stretch of SR 530 which has a history of run-off-the-road collisions. Depending on the results of the tests and available funding, WSDOT says it will consider investing in additional test areas on other roadway surfaces or situations.

The solar-powered LED road reflectors, from UK-headquartered Astucia, part of the 557 Clearview Traffic Group, automatically illuminate from dusk to dawn to provide ten times greater visibility for drivers than traditional retro-reflective studs which are limited by the vehicle’s headlight beam.

“We often hear from drivers who are concerned about visibility in rain and snow,” said Dave McCormick, WSDOT assistant regional administrator for maintenance and operations. “We’re excited to test this cutting-edge technology to see whether it helps improve visibility and safety for drivers. If we get good results, we will look into using the reflectors on future safety projects.”

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • V2X: “The stars are aligning,” says Qualcomm’s Jim Misener
    July 5, 2023
    The roll-out of Vehicle to Everything technology has been given a massive boost by the US Federal Communications Commission: Adam Hill talks to Qualcomm’s Jim Misener and Andres Castrillon to find out why it matters so much – and what the next steps to mass deployment are
    Read More
  • No ifs or buts
    February 27, 2012
    For twenty-some years I lived in Crawley in south-east England.
    Read More
  • Inrix informs FHWA’s data improvements
    December 19, 2017
    Refinements in the data available from the US Federal Highway Administration will improve road management across America. David Crawford reports. In August 2017, the US Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) issued the first results from an upgraded version of its National Performance Management Research Data Set (NPMRDS). Developed to identify the locations and times of high congestion affecting traffic flows along America’s 259,000km (161,000 mile) national highway system, this is a key resource for sta
    Read More
  • US DoT launches largest-ever road test of connected vehicle crash avoidance technology
    August 22, 2012
    Nearly 3,000 cars, trucks and buses equipped with connected Wi-Fi technology to enable vehicles and infrastructure to ‘talk’ to each other in real time to help avoid crashes and improve traffic flow, began traversing Ann Arbor's streets yesterday as part of a year-long safety pilot project by the US Department of Transportation. Ray LaHood, US Transportation Secretary, joined elected officials and industry and community leaders on the University of Michigan campus to launch the second phase of the Safety Pi
    Read More

Highlighted Content