What are road studs and how are they used?

Road studs are a common site on roads in the UK but can be easily missed when you’re not looking for them. They’re generally found at pedestrian crossings on highways and in both public and private car parks. Road studs can also be used to mark out parking areas such as bays or surrounds. The primary and most common purpose of road studs is to demarcate the crossing and provide tactile feedback to pedestrians as they cross the road, warning them if they step out of the boundary of the crossing.

What are road studs made from?

Road studs can be made from a wide variety of metals but are most commonly manufactured in stainless steel and aluminium. The majority of road studs that pedestrians will come across will be aluminium. Aluminium has fantastic cold-weather properties and in fact, further hardens as the weather temperature decreases, stainless steel however doesn’t share this property. This makes aluminium an ideal choice for road studs with the constant wear from both vehicular and foot traffic and ever-changing weather conditions.

What patterns and shapes are available?

Road studs are available in a few patterns and shapes, the most commonly used shapes are circular and square with a ribbed or non-ribbed option. The ribbed pattern provides extra tactile feedback for pedestrians and improved grip in damp weather over their smooth counterparts.