Switch Island - Intelligent Roads Studs

[A303Chris]

This HE press release came into my in box over the weekend, regarding the Switch island improvement scheme saying the scheme will include road studs which light up when the lights change. the burb says,

"The LED road studs light up when traffic lights turn green so drivers can clearly see which lane they should follow. Cables under the road surface connect them to traffic lights through a nearby automatic controller unit.

The studs can be visible up to 1,000 metres away – far greater than traditional reflective road studs – and have been proven to help stop drivers drifting between lanes, reducing the risk of collisions."

I must admit, I haven't seem anything like this over here, obviously, or in Europe. While the press release refers to them being used on the Hinehead Tunnel, they are not constantly changing like they will be here.

I wonder what they will be like, but they could make the junction look like a Christmas Tree

[Piatkow]

Maybe they will encourage drivers to actually believe the signage telling them which lane to use although I doubt it.

I haven't bothered posting on Numpty Overload but I have lost count of the number of times I have seen cars being cut up by drivers panicing when they realise that the lane that they are on actaully spirals to the signed exit and isn't a way to undertake the traffic to the next one.

[mikehindsonevans]

Maybe they will encourage drivers to actually believe the signage telling them which lane to use although I doubt it.

I haven't bothered posting on Numpty Overload but I have lost count of the number of times I have seen cars being cut up by drivers panicing when they realise that the lane that they are on actaully spirals to the signed exit and isn't a way to undertake the traffic to the next one.

Illuminated studs do a very effective job of guarding the hold points at runways where aircraft cross the live runway en route to the take-off point for runway two (watch Manchester Airport's runway one in the dark - it becomes quite hypnotic). However, might I suggest that whether or not the road studs are illuminated is the least of the problems at Switch Island, which must be close to celebrating 45 years of messing up journeys in the east Liverpool area.

[tipsynurse]

Wherever I have seen these I have not been very impressed. Firstly, they work on runways where there are no sharp corners. On roundabouts you have too any curves for them to convey a clear message.

Secondly the roundabout layout should be clear enough to be easily navigable in the day, which should in turn mean a box of tricks isn't needed during the night.

I'm a fan of intelligent road studs in general, just not to support traffic lights on roundabouts.

[Debaser]

Sheriffhall Roundabout on the A720 has been running a trial of the same idea. Seems to have won quite a few industry awards.

https://www.clearview-intelligence.com/ ... -edinburgh

[Johnathan404]

Secondly the roundabout layout should be clear enough to be easily navigable in the day, which should in turn mean a box of tricks isn't needed during the night.

It sounds like a very elaborate solution to a problem which should never have existed in the first place.

Still, there will always be big roundabouts, so hopefully the research will prove useful.

[wrinkly]

Already under discussion since 29 Jan on page 4 of the A5036 thread.

[bart]

Maybe they will encourage drivers to actually believe the signage telling them which lane to use although I doubt it.

I haven't bothered posting on Numpty Overload but I have lost count of the number of times I have seen cars being cut up by drivers panicing when they realise that the lane that they are on actaully spirals to the signed exit and isn't a way to undertake the traffic to the next one.

A gantry on the A5036 leading up to Switch Island would help. It's quite intimidating driving along with all the artics and the lane indication signs are often obscured.

[Bryn666]

I drove through today and some of these are now working. They are unlit until the green light shows, then they light up as guidance marks.

The junction also has mast arm signals everywhere and a new gantry from the A59.

[Nwallace]

Sheriffhall Roundabout on the A720 has been running a trial of the same idea. Seems to have won quite a few industry awards.

https://www.clearview-intelligence.com/ ... -edinburgh

Works really well there, could do with something similar at Scott Fyffe in Dundee, it's back to being an utter shambles again.

[bart]

I drove through today

I'm very sorry to hear that.

[wrinkly]

press release

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/new- ... y-junction

[PaulLothian]

As far as my regular use of Sheriffhall is concerned, although I generally approve of the studs, there are two issues.
- Not all lanes are separated with them, meaning that drivers suddenly start to drift out of lane. Alarming when it is a large HGV veering towards me as I head for the east-bound A 6106.
- Since they were installed, I have experienced more instances of vehicles ignoring red lights as they go round the roundabout, and I wonder if the illuminated studs are a distraction? Perhaps they should be used in conjunction with illuminated red stop lines, synchronised with the traffic lights!

[Johnathan404]

A long, long time ago I wondered whether we'd ever see light-up lane layouts, to assist with tunnel closures.

- Since they were installed, I have experienced more instances of vehicles ignoring red lights as they go round the roundabout, and I wonder if the illuminated studs are a distraction? Perhaps they should be used in conjunction with illuminated red stop lines, synchronised with the traffic lights!

It shouldn't be technically difficult to do that - it has been done for stop lines:

[marconaf]

Used this regularly in the 2000s, and bar Naples and bits of Kabul, is the only place on the planet where, despite seeing myself as a very competent driver and navigator; that I pretty much every time got it wrong and ended up confusing myself and having to make either last second changes at risk, or go somewhere I didn’t want to.

This strikes me as one of those decisions when the fact that you are trying to do something so novel to improve such a persistent issue, should tell you that the entire thing is unworkable.

It is always tempting to believe “one more push” will do it. Although history suggests otherwise.