I'd like to endorse James Wimberley's plan for a hundred million cat's eyes as part of the U.S. stimulus package.
What are cat's eyes? They're reflective dots embedded on roadsides and between lanes, far better than similar reflective devices used in the US. Until James pointed it out, I didn't realize the British reflective dot technology was superior, but I can vouch for its effectiveness.
A couple of years ago, cat's eyes were installed on the A road near my house, making driving at night much easier. I know where to exit onto the slip road by eying the reflective dots, which change from red to green at the point where the slip road is accessible. Before, I had no idea where to exit until I was right upon it, causing me to slow down to a crawl even though I knew the road very well. (I'm practically blind at night, and really shouldn't be driving at all.)
I can easily see how they'd save lives, but the article points out how they'd save money as well. Traffic accidents are very costly.
Now, if we could only get Britain to introduce school zones to slow traffic down near schools, I'd be much happier. Meanwhile, I'll continue with my practice of giving speeders along Mill Lane dirty looks.
