5 Critical Quality Standards Your Road Stud Supplier Must Meet
When designing high-speed corridors, expressways, or smart city networks, selecting the right passive safety devices is a critical engineering decision. Raised pavement markers (RPMs)—commonly known as road studs—serve as a driver's lifeline during night, heavy rain, or dense fog.
However, not all road studs are created equal. Installing sub-standard markers leads to rapid structural failure, lane-marking displacement, and elevated accident risks. To secure long-term durability and safety, here are five critical quality standards your road stud supplier must meet.
1. Following the rules of the Indian Roads Congress and the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways
In India the people who make road safety products have to follow the rules made by the Indian Roads Congress and the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways carefully.
The rule is: the products made by the supplier have to be the size and work the same way as the standard size for example the size of heavy-duty markers is $100 \times 100 \times 20\text{ mm}$.
This is important: if the road studs do not follow the rules the project will be rejected when the officials check the quality and the roads will not be safe. Companies like Alcolite India make sure all their products follow the rules made by the Indian Roads Congress.
2. Being able to withstand weights and loads
The road studs have to be strong enough to survive when big trucks and heavy vehicles drive over them many times without breaking.
The rule is: the road studs made of aluminum have to be thick and made of quality aluminum so they can handle heavy weights like the weight of trucks with 8 to 10 tons or more.
This is important: if the road studs are made of plastic or metal they will break easily when heavy vehicles drive over them and this will leave sharp pieces on the road and make it dangerous.
3. Reflecting light back to the driver
The job of a road stud is to reflect the light from the headlights of vehicles back to the driver.
The rule is: the road studs have to have reflective material that can reflect a lot of light and this material has to meet certain standards like the $R_A$ values. The reflective material should use the technology to make sure it can be seen from far away even in the morning, evening and at night.
This is important: if the road studs can reflect light well the drivers will be able to see them even when it is raining or when they are driving from the side and this will give them time to react.
4. Being safely attached to the road
A road stud is only good if it is attached well to the asphalt or concrete.
The rule is: the road stud has to have an anchor or a special base that can attach well to the road and the reflective material should be attached in a way that it cannot be lifted or damaged.
This is important: if the road studs are not attached well they can come off when vehicles drive over them and this can be very dangerous.
5. Being able to withstand the sun and weather
The roads in India experience different weather conditions from very hot in the summer to very cold in the winter.
The rule is: the road studs made of plastic have to be made of material that can withstand the sun and the heat like the high-impact ABS or Polycarbonate so they do not break or change color. The road studs that use power, like the Alcolite Round Solar Studs have to be made to withstand the water and dust like the IP68 standard.
This is important: if the road studs are not made to withstand the weather they will not work well. Will not last long.
