23/03/2022
WHAT ARE ROAD STUDS?
Road studs are small reflective items used on the road to help boost visibility in the dark or when the weather is poor. They’re used throughout the UK and there are several types of road studs, including passive and active studs.
Passive studs simply reflect light, thanks to their reflective surface. This means when a car is driving down the road, the headlamps reflect off of the studs to let the driver see better. These are called cat’s eyes studs as they were developed after the inventor, Percy Shaw, saw a cat’s eyes reflecting in the dark.
Active studs have LED lights that help alert drivers to potential dangers. They illuminate the road, but also reflect light. The studs carry a battery that is recharged daily with solar power. This type of stud turns on once dusk falls.
Multiple colours of studs are used, as well. For example:
White: This indicates traffic lanes and the centre of the road.
Red: This shows lines that must not be crossed or dangerous areas. They are usually to the left of the road.
Yellow: The yellow studs line the right side of the carriageway, but they also indicate a line you should avoid crossing.
Green: This indicates a line that can be crossed and is used to show the left edge of the carriageway or the boundary of acceleration.
There are laws to ensure the studs are of solid consistency and resistant to sunlight and water. They are also limited in their height and may not be more than 20.3mm high and 130mm wide. Other construction requirements include the angle the stud is at, the flatness of the base, and how adhesive it is.
As vehicles will be driving over the studs, they have to be quite strong and flexible so they aren’t destroyed by the constant traffic. They also need to be quite resistant to extreme temperatures. The bitumen can heat up rapidly, but in winter, things get very cold on the carriageways.
