Cat's Eyes Position

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jabbaboy
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Cat's Eyes Position

Post by jabbaboy »

Just something I've been wondering about for awhile but what is correct side for cat's eyes to be on the nearside and on the hard shoulder line? Is it behind the white line or on the carriageway (where there's spare for them to be on either). They just change for no real reason flipping between the two in the North East and was wondering if there's actually a right and wrong way including Testo's and Silverlink both being opposite to each other which are both new builds. The former behind car side of the line and Silverlink being behind the line.
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skiddaw05
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Re: Cat's Eyes Position

Post by skiddaw05 »

On the carriageway side, according to the Traffic Signs Manual Ch5 Par 2.5.13
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Re: Cat's Eyes Position

Post by jabbaboy »

skiddaw05 wrote: Sat Jun 25, 2022 22:36 On the carriageway side, according to the Traffic Signs Manual Ch5 Par 2.5.13

Thank you :)
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Truvelo
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Re: Cat's Eyes Position

Post by Truvelo »

I find there is no consistency. It's pot luck as to whether they are within the running lane or outside it. Personally I prefer to have them outside the running lane for two reasons - the hard shoulder and central reservation lines have rumble strips built into them so there's already an audible warning if you stray outside them and secondly there's less chance of them wearing out.
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c2R
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Re: Cat's Eyes Position

Post by c2R »

Iirc the older style self cleaned when run over. Obviously the same isn't true if the stick on ones, which probably explains why they're often put the "wrong"side of the line.
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skiddaw05
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Re: Cat's Eyes Position

Post by skiddaw05 »

Actually a closer inspection of the relevant paragraph shows it to be a bit contradictory:

When depressible studs are used, they should always be placed on the carriageway
side of the edge line to facilitate the cleaning action of the lenses. Non‑depressible studs also
benefit from trafficking to keep them free from road dirt and maintain their performance. At
locations where experience has shown that placing the studs on the carriageway side of the
edge line reduces their operational life to unacceptable levels, it may be better to place them
behind the line. Further guidance on the use of road studs is given in section
4.

(My bold)
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Bryn666
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Re: Cat's Eyes Position

Post by Bryn666 »

Basically if the cheap cack stick-ons are used they get placed behind the line because HGVs ping them off after a week.

Quite why anyone thinks stick-on studs are a good idea is beyond me.
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Kevin Roads
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Re: Cat's Eyes Position

Post by Kevin Roads »

Bryn666 wrote: Sun Jun 26, 2022 10:56 Quite why anyone thinks stick-on studs are a good idea is beyond me.
We were talking about the disappearance of the old-style cats eyes whilst walking along here the other day https://maps.app.goo.gl/6gmjFfGQftruJ7uH6 where the greenery is sprouting out of the old placements. I wondered how many of the old metal units have been weighed-in and provided some beer money for the workers? They are a fair chunk of metal so there would be a good weight to them.

As to why anyone thinks the stick-ons are a good idea: cheaper, both to buy and fit, which is all that matters nowadays. I realise that it was a rhetorical question and you - and we all - know the reason, Bryn.
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Gareth
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Re: Cat's Eyes Position

Post by Gareth »

The only excuse for the stick-on ones is for where the road layout is predicted to be fairly short term. Otherwise, I'm with Bryn. They look temporary and every other one ends up going missing.
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Conekicker
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Re: Cat's Eyes Position

Post by Conekicker »

Bryn666 wrote: Sun Jun 26, 2022 10:56 Basically if the cheap cack stick-ons are used they get placed behind the line because HGVs ping them off after a week.

Quite why anyone thinks stick-on studs are a good idea is beyond me.
Amber/Reds on the offside edge are usually very durable, entirely down to the offside lane not getting much HGV traffic. Elsewhere, depressibles are by far the best, because the inserts can be easily replaced. Horses for courses.
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RichardA35
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Re: Cat's Eyes Position

Post by RichardA35 »

Conekicker wrote: Mon Jun 27, 2022 11:15
Bryn666 wrote: Sun Jun 26, 2022 10:56 Basically if the cheap cack stick-ons are used they get placed behind the line because HGVs ping them off after a week.

Quite why anyone thinks stick-on studs are a good idea is beyond me.
Amber/Reds on the offside edge are usually very durable, entirely down to the offside lane not getting much HGV traffic. Elsewhere, depressibles are by far the best, because the inserts can be easily replaced. Horses for courses.
Any advantages/disadvantages on snow ploughed routes?
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Conekicker
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Re: Cat's Eyes Position

Post by Conekicker »

RichardA35 wrote: Mon Jun 27, 2022 11:17
Conekicker wrote: Mon Jun 27, 2022 11:15
Bryn666 wrote: Sun Jun 26, 2022 10:56 Basically if the cheap cack stick-ons are used they get placed behind the line because HGVs ping them off after a week.

Quite why anyone thinks stick-on studs are a good idea is beyond me.
Amber/Reds on the offside edge are usually very durable, entirely down to the offside lane not getting much HGV traffic. Elsewhere, depressibles are by far the best, because the inserts can be easily replaced. Horses for courses.
Any advantages/disadvantages on snow ploughed routes?
Depends on the type used. If it's just a stick-on stud, there's a chance the blade will ping it off. If it's a stick-on in a metal housing with raised metal protecting the stud, then it should, in theory, survive the blade. The downside with the latter is that if the stud comes out of the housing, you've got to dig the housing out and replace the whole unit.

Bottom line - you can't beat a good old cats eye when it comes to maintenance.

Edit: there's a glass inset one (the name of which escapes me, French made I think), that looks a bit like a flying saucer that is reasonable. Until something smashes the raised glass dome. On the other hand, you can happily plane straight through them when you are resurfacing, unlike metal insets, which needs to be individually dug out first.
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darkcape
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Re: Cat's Eyes Position

Post by darkcape »

There's a section of the M6 southbound approaching Corley where on the offside you have amber studs both inside & outside the running lane - presumably a hangover from the recent roadworks.
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Bomag
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Re: Cat's Eyes Position

Post by Bomag »

Conekicker wrote: Mon Jun 27, 2022 11:37
RichardA35 wrote: Mon Jun 27, 2022 11:17
Conekicker wrote: Mon Jun 27, 2022 11:15 Amber/Reds on the offside edge are usually very durable, entirely down to the offside lane not getting much HGV traffic. Elsewhere, depressibles are by far the best, because the inserts can be easily replaced. Horses for courses.
Any advantages/disadvantages on snow ploughed routes?
Edit: there's a glass inset one (the name of which escapes me, French made I think), that looks a bit like a flying saucer that is reasonable. Until something smashes the raised glass dome. On the other hand, you can happily plane straight through them when you are resurfacing, unlike metal insets, which needs to be individually dug out first.
Armorstud?
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Conekicker
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Re: Cat's Eyes Position

Post by Conekicker »

Bomag wrote: Wed Jun 29, 2022 23:07
Conekicker wrote: Mon Jun 27, 2022 11:37
RichardA35 wrote: Mon Jun 27, 2022 11:17 Any advantages/disadvantages on snow ploughed routes?
Edit: there's a glass inset one (the name of which escapes me, French made I think), that looks a bit like a flying saucer that is reasonable. Until something smashes the raised glass dome. On the other hand, you can happily plane straight through them when you are resurfacing, unlike metal insets, which needs to be individually dug out first.
Armorstud?
That's the one :D
Patience is not a virtue - it's a concept invented by the dozy beggars who are unable to think quickly enough.
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