20th November 2007
BRITISH INVENTION SHOWS WAY AHEAD IN NIGHT-TIME DRIVING
Astucia SolarLite flush road stud uses stored solar power to give a ten-fold improvement in night time road visibility.
Shorter days and longer hours of darkness, along with inclement winter weather place particular emphasis on the need for road delineation, to show the driver where the road goes next. The latest generation of a British-designed “smart” road-stud has just been certified by the Department for Transport and is making a significant improvement to driving safety, with a big boost in visibility compared with the traditional reflective “cats-eye.”
The Astucia SolarLite™ stud stores solar energy during the day, then built-in Light Emitting Diodes automatically illuminate from dusk to dawn, providing drivers with up to 900 metres of visibility. This is ten times greater than the traditional, retro-reflective, passive road stud which relies on being illuminated by the headlight beam of the approaching vehicle. At best it has a useful range of 90 metres.
The increased visibility given by the SolarLite road stud extends driver reaction times from 3.2 to over 30 seconds, when driving at 60mph. The studs are now in use in approximately 120 locations across the UK and a number of Local Authorities have reported reductions in night time accidents of well over 70% since the installation of the SolarLite “smart” road studs.
Research carried out by the Transport Research Laboratory also shows that when the smart studs are used, drivers also significantly less likely to cross the white line in the centre of a road or move out of lane on a dual carriageway. They also brake earlier and more consistently.
The greater number of visual references also means that drivers tend not to speed into the corners. In addition, the flush fitting studs are also safer for cyclist and motorcyclists. All make their contribution to added driving safety.
The latest Astucia stud reduces casualties on the road and has a projected life of eight to ten years, compared with just one to two years for a conventional retro-reflective stud. Over its lifespan an Astucia “smart” stud will therefore cost no more than a traditional cat’s eye. The units’ efficiency can also allow a reduction in the use of energy- and maintenance-intensive, carbon-inefficient, streetlights.
In comparison with the cost and trauma of a fatal road accident of course, the price of any road stud fades into insignificance. According to the latest UK Department for Transport annual statistics, there are on average more than 8 fatal accidents every day, each one costing the country £1.69 million pounds. While only one third of all journeys occur at night, almost half of the serious or fatal accidents occur during the hours of darkness.
In the UK, Astucia road studs are currently installed on roads in Lothian in Scotland, the Vale of Glamorgan in Wales, in Buckinghamshire, Norfolk and Oxfordshire. They are also used in more specialised applications such as demarking cycle lanes in Cambridgeshire and Fast Track bus lanes in Essex.
The smart, safe and sustainable concept that created the Astucia SolarLite studs was conceived in 1989 by Martin Dicks. A former member of the London Fire Brigade, he formed Astucia to develop and market his invention in 1992..
Martin is recognised within the industry as one of the true visionaries in this vital field of road safety, building on the legacy of Percy Shaw, the inventor of the original “cats-eye” in the 1930s. Dicks is the inventor of an entire product range covering solar and hardwired studs, including studs that can warn of impending hazards such as fog, ice and surface water, or stationary traffic ahead
In 2003, Astucia made a significant step forward when John Madejski OBE DL, best known for his ownership of Reading Football Club and, more recently for his charitable work in the arts field supporting the Royal Academy and the V&A museum, acquired a controlling interest in the business. He made further investments to fund the R&D program and has supported the development of the company as a part of the Clearview Traffic Group, which also includes Golden River Traffic, a leader in the field of automated traffic counting and classifying, and Count On Us, the largest UK provider of transportation data collection and analysis services.
“Astucia is shaping the future of traffic safety by providing superior information to drivers about potential hazards direct from the road in their natural field of vision” says Martin Rodgers, sales and marketing director for Clearview Traffic. “The advance information on the road ahead provided to drivers by the Astucia studs is clearly proven to reduce incidents, so we’re delighted to be able to bring to the market this next generation of flush stud, which is also easier and therefore cheaper to install, further justifying a unique British product which is continuing to prevent accidents and save lives.”
ENDS.
Notes to editors
Astucia is a leading global developer of accident reduction technologies. The core product technology is the Intelligent Road Stud containing LEDs (Light-Emitting Diodes) powered by solar cells and batteries to collect and conserve energy in each road stud. The LEDs are automatically activated during the dusk to dawn period; conventional reflectors are also contained in the stud housing to provide daytime road delineation. These Intelligent Road Studs extend the night-time 'view' of the road, when compared with the traditional reflective type, from around 90 metres to over 900 metres.
Other products have grown from that first idea including studs that warn of impending hazards such as fog, ice and surface water to form traffic management systems. Astucia also sells a range of portable studs which can be deployed by motorists and the emergency services around vehicles at road-side situations.
Astucia’s vision is to reduce casualties and fatalities on roads throughout the world and to reduce congestion by safely increasing the capacity and effectiveness of road networks.
Astucia’s global distribution network includes: Australia, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Holland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Malaysia, Middle East, New Zealand, Mexico, Norway, Spain, Switzerland, United Kingdom and the USA.
Clearview Traffic Group is the guiding force behind three industry respected brands: Astucia, the market innovator for intelligent road studs; Golden River Traffic, a leader in the field of automated traffic counting and classifying; and Count On Us, the largest UK provider of transportation data collection and analysis services.
Issued on behalf of Astucia Traffic Safety Systems by Kingpin Media Limited.
For further information please contact Stephen Slater on 01494 776831 or ss@kingpinmedia.co.uk
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