end of the road for cats eyes? - solar powered street lights
After the government announced plans to allow cats to be replaced by emergency lights, cat's focus on British roads could become history.
Ministers are prepared to amend traffic legislation to allow the use of a new generation of LED road pegs on British roads, with a view of 1,000 yards ahead, 10 times the cat's eye.
These lights can work for up to 10 days at a cost of 4 hours and spend the same amount as traditional cat eyes in their life.
The original reflective cat eye bolt was invented by yorkhiman Percy Shaw in the 1930 s, when he was inspired by the car headlights reflected by the cat's eyes.
For decades, traffic regulations have required the use of "reflective road nails", which industry insiders believe are hindering the development of new technologies.
Although LED lights were used in some accidents
Most attractions still include reflective belts, which increase their costs and bring companies specializing in the technology from the UK.
Ministers announced consultations on changes to regulations to allow LED lights without reflective strips, after they acknowledged that the lights provided "expanded visibility" and "better performance in bad weather conditions ".
The consultation noted: "Advances in technology have led to the development of studs that only include LEDs, hard connections in tunnels and solar power supplies elsewhere.
"We recommend that regulations be revised to adapt to this technology.
Traditional studs use a reflector or rear reflective material that relies on the lighting of the headlights beam.
"Compared to conventional bolts, active bolts use internal LEDs as light sources, providing longer visual distances and better performance in harsh weather conditions.
"The most commonly used LED road pin on British roads is a product called Solarlite, which contains reflective strips.
The lights have been used in about 400 accident black spots, including the M40 in the middle and the A20 in Kent.
They were also used by the buckin county council for some time.
In order to save money and reduce pollution, roads choose to turn off street lights.
Graham Muspratt, group product manager at Astucia, the company behind the lights, said: "We hope they will become the norm, they have obvious benefits for road safety and other benefits for drivers.
"Driving pressure is much smaller when using road pegs, as drivers can see farther away.
They have also been shown to improve road discipline.
"The lights have a battery that can store up to 200 hours of power, which means they can work even on days when the light is low.
They spent £ 30 for 8 to 10 years.
In contrast, the cat's eyes cost about £ 10, and it lasts two to three years before it needs to be replaced.