“Ghost” markings on roads which can cause confusion for drivers could soon become a thing of the past.
When white road markings need to be removed, for example when road layouts change, the original lines can sometimes still appear as faint or “ghost” marks. The problem is worse in bright sunshine.
Now, a Highways England £685,000 international research project is aiming to find a solution. The company, responsible for motorways and major A-roads, launched a competition which has seen products from around the world undergo testing in Madrid, Spain.
The eight winning materials are being trialled on the M5 in the south west of England. In addition, testing is taking place on five removal systems that could address the issue of removals causing damage to the road surface.
“We know ‘ghost’ markings on any roads, not just ours, can be confusing for drivers and autonomous vehicles so we set out to find a solution which makes a real difference not just for road users on our network but across the globe,” said Martin Bolt, Corporate Group Leader at Highways England. “There is a worldwide problem with road marking removal and it is the first time the industry has been challenged like this.”
