On 24/9/22 8:09 pm, Stephen Loosley wrote: > Seems to me to be a splendid way to create safer self-driving e-vehicle road > lanes also ..
Or even cats' eyes? They had the double-effect of glowing (although by reflection, not lumniscence), but also causing a bump when you went over them nearly as bad as modern shudder-strips. I doubt if either works with a driver who's gone to sleep at the wheel. ___________________ > Hopes glow-in-the-dark roads could reduce road toll in rural Victoria > > ABC Gippsland / By Natasha Schapova Thursday 22 Sep 2022 (Photos below) > > https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-09-22/glow-in-the-dark-roads-trial-in-rural-victoria/ > > > The Department of Transport will evaluate the effectiveness of the > photoluminescent line markings. > > Glow-in-the-dark roads are being trialled in Eastern Victoria and experts > predict the technology could improve road safety. > > Key points: > > Deaths on rural roads in Victoria have increased by 30 per cent compared to > last year > Forty-six per cent involved vehiclesPhotos running off the road > > A civil engineer says the photoluminescent markings could be a cost-effective > way to address the issue > > Bairnsdale-based company Tarmac Linemarking worked with OmniGrip Direct and > VicRoads to install photoluminescent line markings along a 700-metre stretch > of Metung Road in May. > > The markings absorb sunlight, emit stored light when it is dark and are aimed > at illuminating roads with bends, intersections or without street lighting. > > Overcast days dull the glow but the markings remain visible due to a white, > reflective base, similar to regular road markings. > > The project is part of the Department of Transport's $457 million Victorian > Government Road Safety Program, which will assess the cost efficiency and > road safety benefit of the markings. > > Remote roads benefit > > Tarmac Linemarking operations manager John Emanuelli said the markings would > be particularly beneficial on remote roads. > > "I think the Great Alpine Road, certainly there's spots on that that could be > used, your road to Falls Creek, Mitta Mitta, Omeo Highway," he said. > > Similar projects have been tested internationally — parts of a highway 100km > south-east of Amsterdam, in the Netherlands, have been painted with > photoluminescent powder. > > The centre line on a country road. The line is coated with glow-in-the-dark > paint. > > The photoluminescent product is solid, does not leach and should not be > impacted by rainfall, John Emanuelli says. > > The 2014 trial attracted criticism over the sensitivity of the markings to > rainfall and inconsistent levels of light, but Mr Emanuelli said things were > different on the Metung. > > "I've been back numerous times in different types of weather to have a look > at how it's wearing and how bright it is, and it's working quite well," he > said. > > Mr Emanuelli said the markings could have a variety of uses and would also be > beneficial to pedestrians and boat-ramp users. > > "We've had a lot of people wanting quotes on different applications in > different types of things," he said. > > "We've spoken to most shires across the region about getting this on the > road." > > High road toll > > The number of lives lost on rural Victorian roads has increased by 30 per > cent this year compared to 2021. > > Forty-six per cent of these fatalities occurred due to vehicles running off > the road. > > Long Truong says the markings could prove to be a cost-effective solution to > a serious issue.(Supplied) > La Trobe University Civil Engineering expert Long Truong said > photoluminescent road markings would improve visibility and help drivers stay > centred in their lane. > > "I believe the technology would improve road safety for certain situations — > for example, when we have very complex road alignment, changes in direction, > tight curves and things like that," Dr Truong said. > > Helping wildlife > > "If we can identify the critical location where this can offer the highest > benefit, I would say it is a cost-effective solution because we don't need to > put actual infrastructure for road lighting." > > Lisa Palma says alternatives to artificial street lighting should be explored > to protect wildlife from light pollution. > > The road markings could also reduce light pollution by eliminating the need > for streetlights on rural and remote roads. > > Wildlife Victoria chief executive Lisa Palma said artificial lighting harmed > wildlife. > > "It can impact breeding cycles of species, exposes vulnerable nocturnal > animals to predators, can impact bird migratory patterns and accordingly can > impact species over the longer term," she said. > > "While it's important for roads to be very safe we also want to ensure that > wildlife can go about their normal business without being impacted by light > pollution at all and put themselves and drivers at risk." > > The technology is being trialled at two other sites, including a section of > Whittlesea-Kinglake Road and Bendigo Creek Trail, where 1.8 kilometres of > line marking has been installed on the shared user path. > > > _______________________________________________ > Link mailing list > [email protected] > https://mailman.anu.edu.au/mailman/listinfo/link > -- Roger Clarke mailto:[email protected] T: +61 2 6288 6916 http://www.xamax.com.au http://www.rogerclarke.com Xamax Consultancy Pty Ltd 78 Sidaway St, Chapman ACT 2611 AUSTRALIA Visiting Professor in the Faculty of Law University of N.S.W. Visiting Professor in Computer Science Australian National University _______________________________________________ Link mailing list [email protected] https://mailman.anu.edu.au/mailman/listinfo/link
