Blue rollers on hectometer posts are not there for fun.
Hectometer posts. The country is full of them. In some cases this green sign has a blue top. You have been able to spot them at various posts in the country since 2014. That all started in Friesland. The blue rollers can now also be spotted on hectometer posts in other provinces.
It has everything to do with barn owls. The creatures use the hectometer posts as a parking spot to quietly spot mice. Once spotted, they fly up and dive on their prey.
Rijkswaterstaat finds it dangerous that the owls use hectometer posts in this way. Dangerous for the barn owls, that is. The cars speed past the signs at 100 km/h, the wind can cause the owls to end up on the road. The subsequent motorist can then fatally hit the animal. In this way, the measure would prevent hundreds of dead barn owls every year.
Blue rollers hectometer posts video
The blue roller was invented for this purpose in 2014. This roller is placed above the post. Owls cannot find grip on the slippery surface, so they fly further. Everyone happy. Well, not the barn owl itself I think. The animal has to come up with something else for its breakfast, lunch or dinner and motorists look at hectometer markers with a blue hat. Oh well, that last one isn't so bad after all.
In any case, the measure is successful. Ten years have passed and the blue rollers can now be found on hectometer posts on the A15 and A29. Rijkswaterstaat does not plan to provide all posts with a blue roller. This version is only being considered in places where barn owls frequent.
It all started on the A7 in Friesland. In case you spotted such a hectometer pole and ever wondered: is there a Smurf on the pole? No, that's a blue roller to prevent barn owls from becoming the prey of motorists. (via AD)
Photo credit: Rijkswaterstaat
This article Why you increasingly see blue rollers on hectometer posts first appeared on Autoblog.nl.
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