Why we need 360 degree reflective road stud?

2011/10/18

There is an attractive photo published by 「Shandong Highway Engineering Construction Group Co., Ltd.」in the China Expressway magazine 2010.07 as follow:

In this photo, we had to marvel and admire the engineering difficulties of this tollway, but as we devoted to manufacture high quality road stud, we are concerned about the drivers safety of this section of road in fact. Although we do not know whether the tollway opened to traffic yet, we find that the traffic safety reflective facilities are insufficient and with no installed road studs on the pavement; it may cause vehicles emergency break or rollover when cars approach to this section of road with continuous curves in high speed.However, if we would install road studs on the pavement,the road studs could reflect the headlight from long distance to see the curves in advance. It would give the drivers more time to react at blind curves and decrease the possibility of emergency driving reactions.However, do the installed road studs work so perfectly? Let's make a comparison between 「360 Degree Tempered Glass Road Stud」(formel name:360° cat eye) and 「the traditional square reflective road stud」 as follow: The reflector’s geometry of the 360 degree tempered glass road stud is a convex lens which reflects the light from any direction.The traditional squere reflector on the other hand reflect the light by a flat reflective screen.Is the entrance angle of the light greater than +/- 20 degree there will be no reflection at all.。

The photo below taken by a Seih-Ying's foreign customer is a clear comparative example. The traditional squre reflective road stud can't reflect the light coming with a larger entrance angle, but at the same position, Siglite reflects the light very well.

In the following two photos taken in the mountain area of Hsin Chu Taiwan, we can see that the 360 degree tempered glass road studs reflect the lights from any direction helping the drivers to see the curves in advance in order to prepare a direction change. Although the section of this mountain road is very rugged.

Conclusion:
Since the feature of a different design and working principle, the「360 Degree Tempered Glass Road Stud」 has the benefit of 360 degree reflection. That maximises drivers effectiveness of guiding and warning and allows to achieve good results.

Remarks:
1. Most of glass road studs on the market can reflect the light from any direction as well, butglass road studs installed on roads must be TEMPERED. Most of the glass road studs on the market are non-tempered or only semi-tempered. Non-tempered and semi-tempered road studs have also the feature reflecting the light from any direction. But non-tempered and semi-tempered glass road studs will easily break under working conditions and will break into sharp, larger glass particles which will cause damages of vehicles' tires and are therefore very dangerous.
2. The copyright of photo 1 belongs to 「Shandong Highway Engineering Construction Group Co., Ltd.」. The copyright of other photos or drawings belongs to 「Seih-Ying Co., Ltd.」: Please do not infringe the copyrights. Thank you for your understanding.