Active road studs have been installed on the coast road at Albecq and Route de Rocquaine as part of a trial to improve road safety at locations where there is known to be restricted visibility, particularly at night and in periods of inclement weather.
Whilst the cause of accidents is often down to driver error, behaviour or inexperience, the road environment can also be a factor and Traffic and Highway Services is aware that certain roads present a higher risk than others. The coast road at Albecq has been the site of several accidents and is one which has no natural or man-made barriers to properly delineate the edge of carriageway.
With the advancement of technology there is now a new type of ‘road stud’ known as an ‘Active Road Stud’, which in addition to having the retro-reflective qualities of the passive road stud (‘cat’s eye’) also has built-in ultra-bright LEDs. These road studs automatically detect ambient light levels and intelligently switch on between dusk and dawn every night.
These modern road studs are not reliant on the efficiency of vehicle headlamps to detect them and are therefore of benefit to all road users, including cyclists and pedestrians. The road studs provide a clear view of the road ahead up to 10 times further than that provided by passive road studs. The extra visibility means road users have considerably more time to respond to upcoming bends and changes in topography, helping them to stay safe on the road. The road studs to be installed in the centre line have a low profile of less than 4mm, so do not present a hazard to motorcyclists or cyclists.
Unlike passive studs the active studs also remain highly visible in conditions of reduced visibility such as fog, rain and surface spray. They can provide valuable delineation on wet roads where white lines can be rendered almost invisible due to light being reflected off the surface. Furthermore, the built-in LEDs are powered by solar energy, a free and renewable source of power. There is no requirement for the road studs to be wired in to an electrical supply, helping to keep installation costs low, and no on-going costs for electricity.
The topography at Albecq together with the absence of any street lighting means it is an ideal location at which to trial the new active road studs.
Traffic and Highway Services also considered there would be merit in extending the trial to include another location on the west coast and it has therefore chosen Route de Rocquaine, on the bend near Fort Grey, as a second location.
The road studs were installed on Tuesday 20 November 2018
