Which countries in the world use cat's eyes on the road?

Oct 16, 2024

Cat's eyes, as an effective road safety facility, were first invented in the UK in 1934 to improve road visibility at night and in bad weather conditions. Since then, cat's eyes have gradually been adopted by traffic management departments around the world and are widely used in scenes such as highways, urban roads and parking lots. This article will detail some countries where cat's eyes are commonly used on the road and how they use this device to improve road safety.

1. The UK: The Birthplace of Cat's Eyes

As the birthplace of cat's eyes, the UK widely uses cat's eyes on the road to improve traffic safety, especially at night and in low visibility environments. Initially, cat's eyes were installed on country roads and highways to help drivers identify road boundaries and lane dividers in the dark. Today, cat's eyes can still be seen everywhere on highways, dual-lane roads, country roads and city streets in the UK.

Application scenarios: Cat's eyes are mainly used in the UK for lane separation, road boundaries and curve reminders to help drivers stay in the correct lane while driving and avoid collisions or driving off the road.

2. United States: Widely used on highways

The United States is another country in the world that widely uses cat's eyes on roads, especially on highways and long-distance sections in various states. Many states in the United States, especially in areas such as California and Texas, often use cat's eyes as reflective road signs to improve the safety of night driving. Many cat's eyes also integrate lighting functions, which emit a faint light when vehicles pass over, further enhancing visibility.

Application scenarios: Cat's eyes in the United States are mainly used for lane separation signs, entrance and exit signs on highways, and sharp bends in mountainous areas.

3. Australia: Improving safety on rural roads and long-distance driving

Australia has a vast geographical environment, especially rural roads and wilderness roads, where light is limited at night and it is very easy to cause traffic accidents. Therefore, cat's eyes are widely installed on Australian roads, especially on long-distance roads and remote areas. These cat's eyes not only provide nighttime guidance for drivers, but also improve traffic safety under complex road conditions.

Application scenarios: Cat's eyes in Australia are commonly seen on rural roads, wilderness highways, and urban streets, especially on bends or sections prone to accidents.

4. Canada: Reliable road markings in cold climates

Road traffic facilities in Canada must adapt to its cold climate and long periods of snowfall. To ensure safety on winter roads, cat's eyes are widely used on highways, urban roads and suburban roads in Canada. These cat's eyes are made of cold-resistant materials and can continue to provide reflective guidance when the road surface is covered with snow or frozen, ensuring that drivers can clearly identify road markings.

Application scenarios: Canada mainly installs cat's eyes on snowy roads, urban ring roads and remote roads to help drivers keep the right direction in icy and snowy weather.

5. New Zealand: Cat's eyes on mountain roads

New Zealand has diverse terrain, complex mountain roads and prone to traffic accidents. In order to improve road safety at night and in bad weather, New Zealand widely uses cat's eyes. Especially on mountain roads with many bends, cat's eyes provide drivers with important road guidance functions, significantly reducing the occurrence of traffic accidents.

Application scenarios: Cat's eyes in New Zealand are mainly installed on mountain roads, rugged rural roads and highways, especially on sections with changeable weather.

6. Japan: Safety measures for high-density traffic

Japan is a country with highly developed traffic, especially in its complex urban roads and mountain highways, where cat's eyes are widely used. Japan's cat's eyes are designed to take into account the use needs in high-density traffic environments, and provide drivers with precise lane guidance through a more efficient reflective system. Especially during peak hours at night in major cities such as Tokyo and Osaka, cat's eyes can significantly improve the driver's field of vision.

Application scenarios: Japan uses a large number of cat's eyes on urban elevated roads, highways and mountain roads to ensure smooth and safe traffic.

7. South Africa: Improving night driving safety

South Africa has a relatively high rate of road traffic accidents, especially at night. Therefore, many roads in South Africa, especially those far away from cities, are equipped with a large number of cat's eyes. These cat's eyes help drivers maintain the correct driving route at night by reflecting the light from car lights, significantly reducing the occurrence of night traffic accidents.

Application scenarios: South Africa's cat's eyes are mainly used on rural roads, unlit highways and mountainous roads to help vehicles drive safely at night.

8. India: Solving the problem of insufficient road lighting

Many roads in India have insufficient lighting facilities, especially in rural areas and suburban areas, so cat's eyes have become an important part of road safety facilities. Road traffic in India is relatively congested. Cat's eyes can not only improve drivers' ability to identify lanes at night, but also provide safe traffic guidance on narrow roads.

Application scenarios: India uses cat's eyes on main roads, rural roads and urban alleys, especially in areas with poor lighting conditions at night.

As an economical and efficient road safety facility, road studs have been widely used in many countries around the world. These countries have reasonably arranged cat's eyes on various roads according to their respective geographical environments, climatic conditions and traffic characteristics, providing drivers with a safer driving experience. From the birthplace of Britain in Europe to countries in America, Asia, Oceania and Africa, cat's eyes provide an indispensable guarantee for traffic safety at night and in bad weather.

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