Cats' eyes

30th November 2007

Cats’ eyes are facing extinction, thanks to this new hi-tech device. After 40 years lighting our lanes, the reflectors are to be replaced by solar-powered road studs.

The SolarLite has already been used on some UK roads, but now British maker Astucia has come up with a new model which not only sits flush with the road, but is as cheap to buy as a normal cat’s eye.

The new studs use solar technology to store energy to power LEDs which stay illuminated. With an impressive range of 900 metres, they are 10 times more powerful than traditional cats’ eyes. And the firm claims they are maintenance-free, too.

In a study by the Transport Res­earch Labora­tory, some local author­ities reported a 70 per cent reduction in night-time accidents where solar-powered studs were in place.