Simple road reflector saves lives and provides a great teaching template
One wintry night in 1933, Percy Shaw found himself driving his car down a remote country road in England. The night was moonless; the fog hung thick and there was a persistent mix of rain and snow beating against his windshield. The road was little more than a lane, unsigned, without shoulders, winding and curvy. Any error in judgment would be very costly.
As Mr. Shaw trudged along, he suddenly came upon a rise in the road and was startled when a small Morriss Minor car appeared just at the top of the incline. The approaching car was heading directly for his vehicle. It was on a slight curve, it was completely dark, the road was slippery and unmarked. In the split second that he had to make a decision, a small domestic cat ran across the street. The headlights of Mr. Shaw’s car illuminated the cat’s eyes, and the reflection of those iridescent orbs provided Percy Shaw with enough perspective to gauge the distance from him and safely circle the Morris Minor.
As Percy Shaw collected himself after their close call, he began to think about what had happened. Why were the roads of the time so dangerous? What had just happened that he could take advantage of to help all motorists? He was motivated to improve road safety for all drivers everywhere. But how?
The reflection of the cat’s eyes was the key to the solution that Mr. Shaw was looking for. He started making small adjustments in his garage shop. After several attempts, he perfected the first “cat’s eye road reflectors”. Today, the ubiquitous illuminated reflectors embedded in road surfaces and strategically placed along highway rights-of-way are part of the driving experience we take for granted. They provide security and guidance at night and in adverse weather conditions. In the 1930s they were considered an amazing safety advance.
The British government immediately endorsed and implemented the installation of the reflectors on the roads of the British Isles and later throughout the Empire. Millions of Percy Shaw “cat’s eye road reflectors” improve driving safety around the world to this day. Mr. Shaw was knighted by Queen Elizabeth and benefited greatly from his invention. He was always very proud of the security benefits that his simple invention had brought to humanity.
Modern entrepreneurs and inventors can learn a simple lesson from this seemingly elementary invention. Percy Shaw was not thinking of inventing the “cat’s eye road reflector” that stormy night in 1933. An event occurred that made him consider possibilities. He felt a need. He addressed that need. He benefited from his response to the need he had identified, and all motorists realized the benefits of his inventiveness.
Creative entrepreneurs are always looking to offer products and services that provide enhanced features and performance benefits not available in today’s items. The simplest ideas and concepts are often the most marketable. The example of Percy Shaw’s invention of the “cat’s eye road reflector” is a wonderful template for would-be inventors.
Opportunity can appear at the most unexpected moments. Be conscientious, be flexible, and be opportunistic if you want to enjoy the fruits that come to successful innovators. The market is always open to new and novel products.