If you have ever driven on British roads, you might have seen some small reflective devices on the road surface. These devices are called "cat's eyes" and they have been on British roads for over 80 years.
The story of cat's eyes started in the 1930s when a man named Percy Shaw was driving home from a pub on a foggy night. He saw the reflection of a cat's eyes on the side of the road and thought it was a person. This gave him the idea to make a device to guide drivers safely in poor visibility.
Shaw's device was small and made of rubber, with two special glass spheres. It reflected light back to the driver and was named "cat's eyes" because it looked like a cat's eyes.
Photo of original design
The first cat's eyes were put on a road near Shaw's factory in Halifax on this day 29th April 1934. They were very successful and soon other authorities started to put them on their roads. The government also put them on major roads throughout the country.
During World War II, production stopped, but after the war, they were an important part of rebuilding. In 1946, the government made a law that said all major roads must have "cat's eyes". By the 1950s, over four million had been put on British roads.
Cat's eyes have changed over time. New materials, like plastic and ceramic, make them more durable and cheaper. They can also be different colours and patterns to mark lanes, roundabouts, and other road features.
Today, cat's eyes are still important on British roads and also in other countries. They are a symbol of British road safety. What started as a simple idea on a foggy night has become important for road safety around the world.
Do you have cats eyes in your country? Let me know in the comments.
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