This is despite 70 per...
This is despite 70 per cent of motorists voted throwing litter out of windows as "the most annoying habit on the road" in a new report.
The tiny beacons are...
The tiny beacons are sunk into the "Stop" line across the carriageway, and also between the lanes of traffic. They can be seen more than half-a-mile away on a clear night, will give extra guidance in fog and even help mot-orists when high-sided vehicles waiting at the junction obscure the traffic signals. Clever use of separate wiring means the studs will also continue working if the lights themselves fail.
The 10cm diameter studs contain coloured LEDs. When the traffic signals are green the cats" eyes are switched off, but as the lights turn amber, the studs follow suit and flash twice every second, eventually turning to intermittent red. In addition, the lines of studs between lanes strobe to be more visible to moving drivers.
"They can have an astonishing impact on road safety," said Ilyas Sharif of manufacturer Astucia, based in West Malling, Kent. The company has been talking with the Berkshire-based Trans-port Research Laboratory and two test sites in Hampshire will be selected this year. It costs í‚á£8,000 to install the system at junctions, but councils that are anxious to improve safety may deem the money well spent. The clever cats" eyes have been installed at only two sets of traffic lights in the world so far - one in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and another on The Esplanade, Jersey. How- ever, similar ones placed at pedestrian crossings in the US have slashed accident rates by 80 per cent. Astucia told us dozens more are to be installed in France and Italy this summer.