If there is one thing I hate about driving, it's driving in the dark on an unfamiliar, unlit B-road when it's pouring with rain. As many drivers will testify, even with fairly new white lines, it can be nearly impossible to see the road. To make matters worse, the markings on some of these roads are nearly non-existent anyway.

To make things a little easier, cats-eyes have illuminated some roads for years but they have a habit of becoming dull over time as dirt covers their reflective surface. Of course, cats-eyes aren't even present on some quite dangerous roads.

To help improve the situation, the 21st Century version of the cats-eye has been installed on some UK roads. LEDs in the traditional green/red/white/amber colours have started replacing cats-eyes leading to a dramatic increase in visibility and an appearance which is not dissimilar to a runway.

This LED system is powered by electricity generated from solar paneling. During the day, sunlight provides enough charge to power the lights throughout the night and although there is no word on whether dull winter days would cause problems providing the required amounts of energy, this seems to be an excellent system which will genuinely help reduce accident rates - as long as they are sited on the right roads of course.

Source: Engadget