Glow-in-the-dark road markings deemed successful in Australia's road safety initiative

CapeTalk's Clarence Ford speaks to Barbara Friedman about trending online stories. 

Listen below:

A glow-in-the-dark road safety innovation trialed in New South Wales has been declared a success, with authorities now planning to expand the photoluminescent line markings to other high-risk areas across the state.

Designed to enhance visibility in low-light and poor weather conditions, the glowing road lines offer a practical solution for locations where traditional street lighting isn’t feasible.

The photoluminescent lights absorb sunlight during the day and reflect neon green lights at night.

They were first trialed in December 2024 on a sharp bend known for reduced visibility. Since their installation, the area has seen a 67% drop in near misses during dark hours, according to reports.

Encouraged by the results, officials are now identifying additional sites where the technology could be rolled out.

This innovation could play a key role in achieving Australia’s long-term road safety goal of eliminating serious injuries and fatalities by 2050.

Friedman thinks this can be useful for drivers who struggle with driving at night and hopes it comes to South Africa.

"I think it's a great idea, I don't know if it's partly because of my older age and my eyesight getting worse. I find that driving at night, especially if there's no strong road lights, I feel like I can't see and I get extreme anxiety about it so I think the idea of these photoluminescent lights seems like a brilliant idea to me."

- Barbara Friedman, Barbs Wire - CapeTalk

"I looked up whether we did something similar here in South Africa and I saw there's a company called LuminoKrom who does it in South Africa, even in Cape Town... so the roll-out might be small but I wish they would do it on a large scale."

- Barbara Friedman, Barbs Wire - CapeTalk

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