Motorway Safety Needs and Challenges Motorway, as the arteries of modern traffic, carry a large number of vehicles travelling at high speeds on a daily basis. In such a traffic environment, clear road marking is the key to ensure driving safety. However, when driving at night, only street lighting often can not fully meet the demand; in the rain, fog, dust and other adverse weather conditions, the visibility of the road signs is greatly reduced. The limitations of traditional lighting methods in special environments are becoming more and more obvious, which makes the role of reflective road studs as an important auxiliary safety facility more and more important.
The core working principle of reflective road studs is based on optical reflection technology. It is usually embedded with high refractive index glass beads or covered with reflective film. When the vehicle light hits the stud, the glass bead or reflective film reflects the light back in the original direction so that the driver can see the bright warning signal clearly from a certain distance. This reflective mechanism is similar to the tail light of a bicycle, through clever optical design, it realises the efficient recovery and reflection of light.
The structural design of the stud is also crucial. From an optical point of view, the angle of the reflective surface of the stud is precisely calculated to ensure that the light can be reflected to the driver's field of vision under different vehicle travelling angles and distances. At the same time, the material selection of the stud shell also needs to take into account the abrasion resistance and impact resistance, in order to adapt to the use of motorway vehicles frequently run over the environment.
At night, reflective road studs can produce bright reflective light with the illumination of vehicle lights, clearly outlining the road outline. Even in rainy and foggy weather with extremely low visibility, the reflective effect of the road studs is still significant, which can effectively improve the driver's ability to identify road boundaries, curves and obstacles, and reduce the risk of accidents.
Unlike active light-emitting road studs or intelligent signage systems, reflective road studs do not require power supply, which greatly reduces the initial construction costs and later operating costs. The installation process is simple and quick, without the need for complex wiring and electrical equipment, and can provide long-term stable warning function for motorways at a low cost.
Reflective road stud shell is mostly made of high-strength, wear-resistant engineering plastics or metal, can withstand repeated crushing of vehicles and the erosion of harsh environments. In normal use, road stud can maintain a good working condition for many years, reducing the frequency and cost of maintenance, for motorway management departments to save a lot of manpower and material resources.
Glass bead type reflective dowel through the surface of the dowel embedded in high refractive index glass beads to achieve the reflection function. Glass bead density and particle size directly affects the reflective effect: the higher the density of glass beads, the more light reflected; particle size determines the concentration of reflected light and reflective distance. The cost of this kind of stud is relatively low, and it is widely used in general motorway sections.
Reflective film-type reflective road studs using high-performance reflective film as a reflective material. This reflective film has a wide reflection angle, weather resistance, etc., can be in a wider range of viewing angle to achieve efficient reflection. At the same time, the anti-aging performance of the reflective film is better, suitable for use in complex climatic conditions in the region, although the cost is slightly higher, but the service life is longer.
Embedded reflective road studs are suitable for high traffic flow of the main motorway. Installation, the need to punch holes in the road surface, the stud firmly embedded in it, so that it is flush with the road surface. This kind of installation makes the road studs have a strong resistance to crushing, will not affect the comfort of vehicle driving, and can play a long-term stable warning effect.
The surface of the pasted reflective road stud is mainly used for temporary roads or emergency scenes. Its installation process is very simple, just in the back of the road stud coated with special glue, can be quickly pasted on the road surface. This kind of road stud is suitable for use in road construction, temporary diversion and other situations, can quickly provide warning signs for vehicles.
In the regular sections of the motorway, reflective road studs along the lane lines neatly arranged, like a strip of lighted markings, to help drivers clearly identify the lane boundaries. Especially at night or in low-light conditions, the reflected light of the road studs can effectively guide the vehicle to maintain the correct trajectory, reducing the occurrence of illegal lane changes and cut-off accidents.
Installed in the road edge reflective road studs, through the bright reflection of light to remind drivers to pay attention to the road boundary. In the long straight section of the motorway, drivers are prone to fatigue and deviate from the lane, the warning role of the road studs is particularly important, can effectively prevent the vehicle out of the road, to protect the safety of driving.
Reflective road studs play a key role in dangerous sections of motorways such as bends and ramps. They can enhance the visibility of the road contour, and remind drivers to slow down in advance and drive cautiously through the continuous reflected light before the vehicle enters the curve or ramp, reducing the risk of accidents caused by excessive speed or improper operation.
Tunnel entrances and exits are areas where drivers' vision is prone to discomfort, and due to sudden changes in light, drivers may have a short-term visual blind spot. The application of Reflective Pegs in these areas can guide vehicles safely in and out of the tunnel by means of clear reflective markings, alleviate drivers' visual discomfort due to sudden changes in light, and improve driving safety.
In motorway construction areas, reflective road studs are often used as temporary warning signs. By arranging pins around the construction area, they can clearly guide vehicles around, remind drivers of the existence of the construction area, and ensure the safety of construction personnel and passing vehicles. At the same time, the quick installation and removal of road nails characteristics, but also very suitable for the temporary use of the construction area needs.
Performance comparison
| Compare Projects | Reflective road studs | Active luminous road stud | Ordinary road marking |
| Visibility | Relying on the reflection of vehicle lights, the effect is good at night |
Active luminescence, visible all day long |
Poor performance at night & in bad weather |
| Energy demand | none | Power supply required | none |
| cost | Low | high | Lower |
| Maintenance frequency | Low | Higher | Higher |
Cost-effective analysis
In the initial investment, the cost of reflective road studs is significantly lower than the active light-emitting road studs. Active light-emitting studs need to be equipped with power supply, wiring and control equipment, the installation process is complex and costly; while reflective studs only need studs themselves and simple installation materials, greatly reducing the project's initial investment.
From the long-term operation point of view, the low maintenance cost and long service life of reflective road studs make its comprehensive economic benefits. Ordinary road marking although the initial cost is low, but due to wear and tear, the need for frequent re-drawing, long-term maintenance costs are high; active light-emitting dowels are faced with the problem of power consumption and equipment aging, maintenance costs also remain high. In contrast, reflective road studs by virtue of its stability and durability, has become one of the most cost-effective choice.
In the installation of reflective road studs, first of all, according to the design requirements to determine the installation location of road nails. At the same time, the road surface of the installation area needs to be thoroughly cleaned to remove oil, dust and debris, to ensure that the road surface is dry and smooth. Prepare the tools required for installation, such as electric drill, screwdriver, etc., as well as road studs, fixing bolts, special glue and other materials.
For embedded studs, use a drill to drill holes in the road surface according to the specified size, put the stud base into the holes, and tighten the fixing bolts to ensure that the studs are firmly embedded in the road surface. Surface pasted type of road stud installation is relatively simple, only in the back of the road stud evenly coated with special glue, and then quickly paste it in the specified location, and apply a certain amount of pressure, so that it is tightly adhered to the road surface.
After the installation is completed, the quality of the road nails should be tested. Check whether the road nails are firm, there is no loose or displacement phenomenon; observe the reflection angle of the road nails is correct, to ensure that the reflected light can be effectively reflected to the driver's field of vision; at the same time, the use of simulated vehicle lighting irradiation road nails, test its reflection effect is in line with the standard.
Regular inspection of reflective road studs on motorways is an important measure to ensure their normal operation. Inspection, the need to check the integrity of the appearance of the studs, to see whether there is broken, missing; clean the reflective surface of the studs, remove dust, stains and other substances that affect the reflective effect, to ensure that the studs can maintain good reflective properties.
The surface of the studs will be worn out due to long term vehicle crushing. Therefore, it is necessary to check the wear and tear of the road studs regularly. For the studs with serious wear and tear and obvious decrease of reflective effect, they should be replaced in time in order to ensure the effectiveness of the warning function.
Check the fixation of the stud is also an important part of the maintenance work. Check whether the bolt of embedded stud is loose, and whether the surface of the pasted stud is off. For the loose or shifted road nails, it is necessary to re-enforce or adjust the position in a timely manner to ensure that they can function properly.
Reflective road studs play an irreplaceable role in motorway safety and security by virtue of its unique optical reflection principle. Its core advantages of high visibility, low cost-effectiveness and strong durability make it an important part of motorway road marking. Whether on regular or special road sections, reflective road studs can provide drivers with clear warning signals and effectively reduce the probability of traffic accidents.
