When using snowplowable road reflectors, the part that sometimes needs to be replaced is the reflector that sits inside the metal casing, not usually the metal casing itself. In areas with low traffic, the frequency is lower. In heavily trafficked areas, it is not unusual to replace road reflectors every two or three years. Other considerations include how often snowplows clear snow from the road. The replacement frequency depends partly on the road’s average traffic level. They are continually run over by vehicles, as they are designed to be the bumps they create alert drivers that they are departing from their lane.

How often do road reflectors need to be replaced?Īs with anything that sits outside on a roadway, road reflectors are subject to wear and tear. On roadways with a lot of truck traffic, snowplowable road reflectors may be a better choice since they will stand up better to the pounding of heavy trucks. Other factors may influence the choice, too. Some communities have decided that it is more cost-effective to use ordinary road reflectors and be prepared to replace the damaged ones after snowstorms, rather than installing snowplowable road reflectors-which cost more to buy, more to install, and still need to be replaced occasionally. Good snowplow drivers can often avoid hitting them, however. Nonetheless, it is not unusual to see a certain number of smashed road reflectors scattered along a highway after a snowfall, since these reflectors are not designed for snowplow hits. Ordinary road reflectors are fairly durable too they are built to be able to withstand cars and trucks driving over them, which happens constantly. Their shape and metal casing help protect them from snowplows. Snowplowable road reflectors are specially designed to be able to deflect hits from snowplow blades. Snowplowable road reflectors will stand up better to the pounding of heavy trucks. One less well-known usage is marking the location of fire hydrants, which assists firefighters in responding to blazes at night. They also sometimes identify pedestrian crossing zones. However, they can also be found around shopping malls, residential subdivisions, municipal buildings, fire stations, and other locations. Road reflectors, which guide drivers by reflecting headlights, are used mainly on highways and secondary roads. “Cat’s eye” refers to the original inventor’s design, which was thought to resemble a cat’s eyes shining in the dark. Other terms for these devices include road markers, street reflectors, road studs, traffic delineators, and pavement reflectors. Are road reflectors the same thing as raised pavement markers and cat’s eyes?īasically, yes. Usually we do not give them a moment’s thought-until, perhaps, when the time comes to purchase some. Most of us know road reflectors only as those little objects on the road that glow at us in the rain.

Street reflectors