Impact 2017 Impact 2017 | Page 31

T hey are only a few inches in diameter, and can be either solar powered or hardwired and driven from the mains. However, one researcher is examining whether intelligent road studs could be the key to changing driving behaviour in Scotland for the better. Evidence suggests that their introduction at the busy Sheriffhall roundabout on the Edinburgh City Bypass has cut the accident toll by encouraging motorists to remain within their lanes. Now a variation of the same technology is being applied to boost drivers’ confidence as they approach T junctions on rural stretches of the A1 in Berwickshire, which is shrouded in darkness for much of the year. SIX arms Richard Llewellyn, of Edinburgh Napier’s Transport Research Institute, says: 42,000+ “The work on the A1 is ongoing, but one of the things I am looking at is whether the studs have opened up more journey opportunities by increasing motorists’ confidence about driving on a road which has been perceived by users as dangerous.” vehicles a day Story continues 31