New Coatings

A newly‐developed profile road marketing system developed by Degussa AG of Frankfurt am Main boosts road safety by standing out clearly even when visibility is very poor in rain or fog. When tested systematically at the Darmstadt College of Advanced Technology on behalf of the Federal German Ministry of Transport, the new marking system yielded excellent results. One new feature is that its profiles are spaced at between 10 and 20 cm and project above the otherwise smooth marking surface by between 2 and 10 mm. These profiles rise above the film of water on the road surface, resulting in considerably better headlight reflection, particularly in critical conditions in the twilight and in the dark, and indicating the line of the road more effectively to the driver. Furthermore, the surface noise generated when the wheels run on these profiles draw the driver's attention to the fact that he or she may have inadvertently crossed the centre line or risks running off the road. Practical testing on various routes has revealed that the accident rate on roads with profile markings has fallen sharply, in both wet and normal conditions.