Simple road reflector saves lives and provides an excellent teaching template
One winter night in 1933, Percy Shaw found himself driving his car on a remote country road in England. The night was moonless; the fog hung thickly and there was a persistent mix of rain and snow against his windshield. The road was little more than a lane, without signs, without shoulders, winding and curvy. Any error in judgment would be very costly indeed.
As Mr. Shaw trudged along, he suddenly came across a slope in the road and was shocked when a small Morriss Minor car appeared right at the top of the slope. The approaching car was heading straight for your vehicle. It was on a slight curve, it was pitch dark, the road was slippery and unmarked. In the split second she had to make up her mind, a small house cat ran across the street. The headlights of Mr. Shaw’s car lit up the cat’s eyes, and the reflection of those iridescent orbs gave Percy Shaw enough perspective to gauge his distance and circle safely around the Morris Minor.
When Percy Shaw pulled himself together after his close call, he began to think about what had happened. Why were the roads of the time so dangerous? What had just happened that you could use 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 Mr. Shaw was looking for. He began tinkering in his garage workshop. After several attempts, he perfected the first “cat’s eye road reflectors”. Today, the ubiquitous illuminated reflectors implanted in the roadbed and strategically placed along rights-of-way are part of the driving experience we take for granted. They provide security and guidance at night and in horrible weather conditions. In the 1930s they were considered an astonishing security advance.
The British government immediately approved and implemented the installation of the reflectors on the roads of the British Isles and then 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 her invention. He was always very proud of the safety benefits that his simple invention had provided mankind.
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 highway reflector” that stormy night in 1933. An event occurred that made him consider possibilities. He felt a need. 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 improved features and performance benefits that are not available in current articles. The simplest ideas and concepts are usually the most commercial. The example of Percy Shaw’s invention of the “cat’s eye road reflector” is a wonderful template for aspiring inventors.
Opportunity can appear at the most unexpected moments. Be mindful, flexible, and opportunistic if you want to reap the rewards of successful innovators. The market is always open to new and novel products.