Road stud (360 degree tempered glass road stud) is a savior, not a killer.

2015/9/21

Taiwanese mountainous terrain makes the road construction in mountain area more important. Because of the rugged, foggy and rainy nature condition, 10 years ago, several important itineraries, such as Provincial Highway No. 8 (Central Cross-lsland Highway), Provincial Highway No. 9 (Taipei-ilan Highway), Provincial Highway No. 18 (Alishan National Scenic Area), Provincial Highway 2A (Yangmingshan National Park) became dangerous and caused lots of traffic accident at rainy night. Especially in Provincial Highway No. 9, people used to sprinkle some joss paper on the road in order to pray safety.

There are some factors why those highways be called dangerous highway:
1. The mountain area is rugged, steep and easy to landslide and falling rocks. The width of road is limited.
2. They are connected highways (for trucks) or itinerary (for bus) with huge car flow.
3. The foggy and rainy weather condition makes the vision of car drivers blurred. (The reflective glass beads in thermoplastic road marking are covered by rain water and lose the reflective ability.)
4. The traffic safety equipments and devices are not complete.

Since Directorate General of Highways has installed 360 degree tempered glass road stud on the above road sections, the readability at rainy night is increased and the accident rate is decreased dramatically. Then most of mountain areas changed to install the 360 degree tempered glass road stud which is more durable, higher economic benefits with 6-7 years of lifespan instead of traditional plastic road studs. That saves and reduces the social cost for replacing the traditional plastic road studs.
I did some interview with track and bus drivers; they all give a highly evaluation to the glass road stud. And they all agree the importance of glass road stud when drive at rainy night. Some of them had experiences that they avoided traffic accidents because they dozed off and ridded the glass road stud. The appreciation from those track and bus drivers gives and fills us fulfillment and energy.

In recent years, ridding a large heavy- duty motorcycle became a popular and fashion activity. Some people do not abide by the laws and regulations, they like drag racing and knee down in the mountain area. When they slipped by the wet thermoplastic road marking, they blamed on glass road stud instead. Part of media made news and blamed on glass road stud when they don’t understand the actual situation well. (See the details of the news report from TVBS on 27th-28th November 2014 ”Don’t cornering too fast！The motorcyclist slips and falls over easily when run over the catseye”). They made a bad image for glass road stud and ignore the achievement of glass road stud. All the traffic company, local residents and law-abiding road user are chilled by this behavior.

If the installed quantity of glass road stud is decreased because of the news from TVBS, I’m afraid the situation will go back to 40 years ago: The road is a killer, and people have to sprinkle the joss paper along the road at raining night.
Of course, the glass road stud, which the lifespan can be 6-7years, and it had set up and passed a national standard, can be replaced by other traffic products in high price. But I’m afraid it will cause some problems:
1. Do those products pass the national standard CNS? Is there any standard or specification in the traffic department? It’s not only a social tragedy but also a problem that the traffic department who is in charge of the case should face the State Compensation Law.
2. How’s the durable and reflective ability? How long can the manufacturer guarantee? (According to the standard of MOTC, all of the glass road studs should provide a two-year guarantee. And it needs to be replaced if the breakage rate over the agreed ratio.) If the road stud loses the function within 6 months or a year, should the department make a budget for replacing or maintain? Or, that’s the problem of the State Compensation Law again.
3. There is a room for the new product to do a public and un-public work. However, our products had been marketing and installing more than 60 countries in the world. And we have never seen a product which can instead of Taiwanese glass road stud.
4. Here, we would like to appeal for your support, please make a professional report and morality assessment when you are doing the similar news and promotion. It is possible that your family and friend will meet the same situation.