Road safety regulations are essential for maintaining order and also safety on the roads, but they could not be enforced without road markings. Although in Europe and the United States they differ in color, both have established standards, serving as the tools that make compliance with traffic regulations possible. In the Netherlands, a project has been launched through which road signage is viewed from an environmental perspective. What does this mean? It has been proposed to function as road markers and a possible replacement for streetlights. To achieve this, a photoluminescent powder that charges with solar energy has been used, capable of illuminating the road for eight continuous hours throughout the night.
According to Daan Roosgerade, the designer who brought this sustainable road concept, this could be an alternative to streetlights, which are being turned off at night by authorities to save costs. However, after testing it on a section of road near Oss, the results showed that it was not so effective: visibility was reduced in wet conditions. Since it did not meet the definition of retroreflective as outlined in the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD), this measure has not been adopted in any U.S. state, although this initiative promotes sustainability and sustainable mobility, the truth is that it is still not safe enough to implement on roads.
Road markings
No matter how many regulations and laws are established regarding road safety, none of them could be enforced without road signage. Although they may seem like just lines on the ground, they are the main tool necessary for law compliance. Additionally, along with streetlights, they make nighttime traffic safe and allow the driver to see where they are going. In 1911, the first line was painted on the ground to indicate lane separation.
This was intended to reduce the number of head-on collisions, especially at night, evolving from a single line to signs and markings that have been standardized on all roads. Although traffic regulations are indeed subject to constant changes, this type of sign has remained practically the same since its inception, and although America and Europe differ in color, being yellow and white, respectively, both have established standards that ensure driver safety.
Glow-in-the-dark signs
Wanting to combine the presence of streetlights at night with road signage, in the Netherlands, Europe, road signage has been approached from a more environmental perspective. How have they been able to combine streetlights and signage? Very simple: they marked the road signs with a photoluminescent powder that can be charged with solar energy. In this way, if there is no artificial light on the road, the driver could still see the signs on the ground glowing at night.
According to Daan Roosegaarde, the designer behind the sustainable road concept, “The government is turning off streetlights at night to save money; energy is becoming much more important than we could have imagined 50 years ago. This road is about safety and envisions a more sustainable and interactive world.” The pilot test was carried out on the Oss road, a 500 m stretch. “This road is related to safety and envisions a more sustainable and interactive world.” The pilot test was carried out on the Oss road, a 500-meter stretch. The results were not very encouraging, as the visibility it provided was completely reduced in wet conditions.
The United States has said no to roads that glow at night
As expected, the results of this pilot test do not encourage other roads to adopt this type of system. The Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD) is responsible for regulating road signage in the United States. One basic requirement is that road signs must be retroreflective at night, which means they must be able to reflect both headlight beams and other sources of light. The photoluminescent markings used in the Netherlands do not meet this standard, so the United States could not adopt this new measure even if it worked safely.
It is striking to see how, while all attempts to introduce the concept of sustainability in roads focus on vehicle designs and operations powered by alternative sources, there has been an effort to bring sustainability to the road itself. However, it is evident that much work remains ahead for an initiative like this to succeed.