“Works” Cat Eyes
“Cat’s Eyes” are the hemispherical road studs installed by the Ministry of Public Works along road edges and used to delineate lane markings, especially at night. They are so named because they glow like cat eyes when illuminated by vehicle headlights. We have previously written about them, noting that the British engineer Percy Shaw invented them in 1933, inspired by the reflection of his car’s headlights off a cat’s eyes on the side of the road during a foggy night, which saved him from veering off the road and falling into a ditch. The concept subsequently gained significant importance, particularly during World War II, following the imposition of “night-time blackout” measures to avoid German aircraft targeting cities. Cat’s Eyes thus became a primary means of guiding drivers in pitch darkness without the need for street lighting. Their use expanded considerably after the war, yet the Kuwaiti Ministry of Public Works has treated them as a “cute gimmick,” implementing the view of an advisor who deemed it essential to greatly expand their use for certain purposes, which we will address at the end of this article.
The original, classic design of Cat’s Eyes consists of a metal or rubber body fixed into the road, typically made of cast iron in older designs, or of rubber and reinforced polyurethane in modern versions. Rubber allows the reflector to compress and sink slightly when tires pass over it, protecting it from damage and automatically cleaning it of dirt. Each unit contains glass reflectors set at a specific angle, which reflect the car’s headlight beams directly toward the driver’s eyes.
These reflectors are manufactured in Britain, their country of origin. Astucia, which inherited the legacy of Reflecting Roadstuds, remains one of the largest manufacturers. As expected, China has entered the market and has become one of the world’s largest manufacturers and exporters of these devices in various types—plastic, glass, and rubber—as well as solar-powered versions. The United States also produces similar local variants, which differ slightly from the original Shaw-designed road reflectors. India, South Korea, and Taiwan are major producing countries, particularly for export to growing Asian and African markets. They are also manufactured in Europe by Germany and Italy, with more advanced versions that self-illuminate rather than relying solely on light reflection.
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The decision to revisit this topic stems from the extensive and indeed amusing expansion in their use by the Ministry of Public Works, particularly on internal roads, especially for warning of speed bumps. In application of unreasonable specifications, the Ministry has installed 48 units to warn of a single speed bump, after decades of having no warning, color, or illumination. Does this not exemplify the Kuwaiti saying, “Oh darkness… oh lamps”?!!
We urge the Minister of Public Works, the active Noura Al-Mashaan, who has recently been ignoring our comments, to consider halting this harmful expansion in application. Despite the benefits of “Cat’s Eyes,” they pose risks to vehicle tires, especially if they break and develop sharp edges. Moreover, there are several inexpensive, effective, and simple methods for warning drivers of speed bumps, far superior to placing 84 units in front of each bump, of which there are thousands!
Ahmed Al-Sarraf
