weird cats eyes

[tekta]

Driving at night last night (strangely enough), and saw a stretch of very bright cats eyes up ahead. So far so normal.

But when I drove past this stretch, with no one coming the other way, they were still glowing in my rear view mirror

So how do they work then? Batteries? Ghost drivers going the other way? Solar panels? Small worms on treadmills? Charged up by Kev's nova's underfloor neons? I'm baffled.

[Podie]

Could be the new fangled jobbies... they use solar cells to charge up a small battery, which then illuminates tiny LED's... designed to give a better outline of the road.

[Bonce]

They're great fun driving in the dark with your lights off. You can pretend you're on the final bombing run across the surface of the Death Star.

Even better if you're in a Ford Focus

>> Edited by Bonce on Friday 8th November 09:51

[mondeoman]

These were on Tomorrows World about 8 years ago - they're solar powered LEDs and the idea is that you can see the road ahead a lot better when it is lit than relying on your headlights.

They do work - you can really see where the road is going, even in fairly heavy rain. There are a few sectionsof raod in the Midlands that were used as trials areas IIRC.

Another version of them has a small camera that takes a piccie of your car as it goes past, just like a Gatso - no flash, no warning, just a bevvy of NIPS, one for every cats-eye that you passed ! :sigh - technology subverted for tax purposes again:

On a more serious note, IMHO this is actually a major saftey advancement that Councils and Government should be retro-fitting to all our roads (not the camera ones!!!) in the push for reduced deaths. But, hey, this costs money and doesn't raise money, so it'll never happen.

[Richard92c2]

Add in the Jobber:

Seeking highly spirited, Fear no evil type man/woman to drop eyedrops in cats eyes on m25, Excellent perks and must like to travel!

Ok, I know, but Its Friday ........

[tekta]

Thought it might be solar power, pretty good idea really. Although they do have a strange flickery look that makes it look like a runway in your mirror.


"They're great fun driving in the dark with your lights off. You can pretend you're on the final bombing run across the surface of the Death Star.

Even better if you're in a Ford Focus"

Hmmmm.... "USE THE FORD, LUKE"

I'll get me coat...

[Bonce]

The Ford is strong in this one.

[Simonelite501]

I encountered these on a stretch of the A420 between Swindon & Oxford, VERY strange, they have a almost epileptic effect and a lot of time spent looking in the rear veiw mirror thinking "What the hells giong on!" is going to cause an accident for sure

[wolosp]

Simonelite501 said: I encountered these on a stretch of the A420 between Swindon & Oxford, VERY strange, they have a almost epileptic effect and a lot of time spent looking in the rear veiw mirror thinking "What the hells giong on!" is going to cause an accident for sure

I too saw these things - take a look at this link for more info; www.infolink.com.au/articles/c2/0c011ac2.asp

[MGv8]

What you do is switch you lights off and pretend you are taking off from the Battle Star Galactca!

[wolosp]

Now, this could be worrying.... www.leedscommunity.co.uk/lc/motoring/catseyes.htm

[markda]

I noticed these just the other day on a stretch of road just off the M3 J4a.

They are an excellent idea, cannot imagine they come cheap though!

[pdv6]

Absolutely fabulous idea (sweetie!). Saw these on some prog ages ago (Tomorrows World?). Don't like the idea of number plate cameras in 'em, though.

[icamm]

They sound like a brilliant idea (not seen any yet) but how does it square with the new policy (in Wiltshire at least) of no white lines in the middle of the road?

[alan_driver]

wolosp said: Now, this could be worrying.... www.leedscommunity.co.uk/lc/motoring/catseyes.htm

i noticed that the website is 'leeds community' i hope they are not planning on trying the camera version out in leeds!!! the idea of charging up with solar is great! until someone paints them red and a plane lands on the road.