New ideas - truly new ideas - are a rare event. In the 1930’s Percy Shaw took it into his head to use glass beads in the centre of the carriageway as an aid to night driving and the idea of the cats’ eyes was born. At the time it was a brilliant concept that has over the years contributed hugely to road safety.

In the early 1990s inventor Martin Dicks recognised the limitations of this 70 year old technology. He also foresaw that road studs were capable of performing a far wider range of safety-related functions and went on to form Astucia and created the concept of the intelligent road stud.

His first idea was as simple as it was brilliant - to use solar powered LEDs to provide a permanent light source within each road stud. The effect was both immediate and spectacular, extending the night-time 'view' of the road from around 80 metres to about 1000 metres.

Other products have grown from that first idea including studs that warn of impending hazards such as fog, ice and surface water, and more recently camera and traffic speed detectors within road studs that can combine to form traffic management systems.

Astucia’s products are shaping the future of traffic safety by providing information to drivers about the road ahead direct from the road in their natural field of vision.

The evolution of the group following the acquisitions of Golden River Traffic in October 2004 and Count On Us in August 2005 has led to the formation of the Clearview Traffic Group whilst retaining the Astucia brand the market leader and innovator for Intelligent Road Studs.

For more information about the Clearview Traffic Group [click here]