Clearview Intelligence unveils Solar Powered Road Stud to create safer highways
An innovative solar powered road stud which offers drivers 10 times greater visibility of the road ahead than traditional ‘cat’s eyes’ is today being unveiled by Clearview Intelligence, highway technology experts, at Highways UK.
Designed to reduce night time road accidents by over 70%1, the new SolarLite 2 intelligent road stud provides improved guidance and hazard warning to drivers during the hours of darkness, even in poor weather conditions. The SolarLite 2 provides up to 900m of visibility of the road ahead, using superior solar powered high intensity LEDs which, unlike conventional reflective road studs, do not rely on vehicle headlight efficiency to perform effectively.
Use of SolarLite intelligent solar powered road studs has been shown to reduce erratic driving behaviour and smooth braking along winding roads, according to the Transport Research Laboratory. The superior distance visibility allows drivers additional reaction time to respond to road layouts ahead, helping road users to feel safer and more confident to travel at night. At a vehicle speed of 100km/h (62 mph) this can increase the time a driver has to react from 3.2 seconds to over 30 seconds.
Nick Lanigan, Managing Director, Clearview Intelligence, says: “With an average of five fatalities (and many more serious injuries) every day on UK roads, and a worrying 4% rise in the number of reported road deaths2, we must seek innovative solutions to our road safety challenges. The SolarLite 2 uses our most innovative technology to help tackle the appalling accident rates on UK roads.”
The result of a £4million Advanced Manufacturing Supply Chain Initiative (AMSCI) government grant3 awarded in 2014, SolarLite 2 is the latest intelligent solar-powered road stud from market leaders Clearview Intelligence. The Oxfordshire-based company has developed SolarLite 2 in partnership with two other British businesses – Zeta Specialist Lighting Ltd and AEV Ltd – as part of an initiative to relocate manufacturing from overseas to Britain, which has led to over 20 new jobs being created and dozens more being safeguarded.
“I’m a passionate believer in the contribution that our intelligent road stud technology can make to road safety. It was and still is a big part of why I invested in the company and I’m delighted to announce the launch of the SolarLite 2,” commented Sir John Madejski, Chairman of Clearview Intelligence. “Supported by the AMSCI grant, the SolarLite 2 is a British manufacturing success story, bringing together pioneering thinking and technological expertise to improve road safety and enabling SMEs such as Clearview Intelligence and our partners to operate at the leading edge of the highways industry and drive innovation in UK road infrastructure development.
“It’s rewarding to see the results of our labours come to fruition and we’re looking forward to seeing SolarLite 2 installed on the UK road network next year to help improve road safety and reduce accidents.”
SolarLite 2 road studs use patented solar energy harvesting and storage electronics to power high intensity LEDs to give drivers up to 900m road visibility. The robust housing of the embedded road stud has a profile of less than 4mm above the road surface, making them unobtrusive to road users, and able to withstand passing traffic and snowplough use. They provide reliable all night, all year-round performance, with long lasting, carefree operation and lower lifetime costs than traditional road studs. SolarLite 2 will be available in Spring 2018 in a full range of colour options for all road and path delineation uses, including white, amber, red, blue and green.
