Horizontal road markings to enhance driver safety
Road safety on national roads and motorways is a key pillar of modern transport infrastructure. The daytime and nighttime visibility of horizontal road markings is especially critical after dusk and under challenging environmental conditions. Luminescent road marking paints represent an innovative, energy-independent solution that significantly enhances the visibility of longitudinal lines, transverse markings, and regulatory symbols—without requiring additional street lighting infrastructure.
Enhancing safety on roads and high-speed corridors
Photoluminescent paints work by absorbing natural or artificial light and gradually re-emitting it in the dark, improving the luminance performance of road markings. This contributes directly to:
- Earlier detection of lane boundaries, shoulders, and critical markings by drivers, which helps reduce reaction time and lowers the risk of accidents.
- Maintaining high visual performance under reduced visibility conditions, such as fog, heavy rain, or poorly lit road sections—aligning with performance classes defined in EN 1436 for road marking reflectivity and luminance.
- Improving safety on unlit sections of road infrastructure, especially on motorways and expressways traversing rural or non-urban areas, where lighting systems are absent or energy-intensive.
Visibility at night and in adverse weather conditions
Traditional road markings can become difficult to detect at night, particularly on road segments without fixed roadway lighting. Photoluminescent road marking paints provide enhanced visual guidance in such scenarios by offering:
- High luminance performance on unlit road segments – guiding lines remain clearly visible, even without vehicle headlights, improving night-time lane discipline and spatial orientation.
- Improved visibility in adverse weather conditions – unlike retroreflective materials, luminescent paints are not reliant on light reflection, and remain perceptible in fog, rain, and snow.
- Increased safety on sharp curves and descents – enhanced visual cues help drivers anticipate directional changes and react more quickly to the road geometry.
Application across various road sections
Luminescent paints can be applied across multiple types of roads and highway infrastructure, including:
- Lane and edge markings – enhancing driver orientation and lane-keeping on motorways and high-speed roads, especially during nighttime travel.
- Pedestrian crossings near expressways – increasing pedestrian safety in areas with limited visibility or insufficient street lighting.
- Markings for exclusion zones and service roads – guiding drivers and preventing unauthorized maneuvers or entry into restricted areas.
- Work zone and construction areas – providing early visual warnings of lane reductions, detours, or changes in traffic organization.
Benefits for road users and infrastructure operators
The application of luminescent road marking paints on motorways and national roads offers tangible benefits for both drivers and road authorities:
- Reduced risk of collisions and accidents – improved marking visibility enables faster driver response times and better lane discipline.
- Lower road lighting costs – luminescent markings reduce or eliminate the need for continuous artificial lighting along entire routes.
- Greater durability compared to conventional paints – high resistance to abrasion, weathering, and intensive traffic loads ensures long-term performance.
- Ideal for environmentally sensitive areas – suitable for protected zones such as national parks, where artificial lighting infrastructure is limited or discouraged.
The future of road markings
Luminescent paints are poised to become a core element of next-generation road infrastructure, supporting the deployment of smart mobility solutions and integrated traffic management systems. Their potential integration with LED-based dynamic signage, real-time navigation technologies, and Vehicle-to-Infrastructure (V2I) communication can further enhance road safety and infrastructure efficiency.
With these technologies, highways and national roads can become more user-friendly, energy-efficient, and environmentally responsible—in line with the goals of the EU Green Deal, Vision Zero, and smart city strategies.