VAN VELSEN INSTALLS INNOVATIVE ROAD MARKINGS

On Thursday, October 10, road markers from Van Velsen were the first in the Netherlands to apply innovative longdot road markings. The work took place on the N502 in the municipality of Schagen (North Holland).

Effective road markings are critical to road safety. The innovative road marking longdot applied by Van Velsen combines the best properties and performance of common regular thermoplastic and agglomerate markings.

Less noise

First, the non-coating structure of this innovative road marking, which consists of elongated drops (longdot), reduces the noise when a motorist drives over the road marking. The vibrating sound that can be heard when a regular profiled line is crossed alerts the motorist, which can prevent dangerous situations. The disadvantage, however, is that local residents often experience inconvenience as a result. With this innovative road marking, Van Velsen has been able to reduce the noise considerably, making this a major plus point.

Better night visibility

In addition, this innovative road marking is also characterized by significantly improved night visibility in wet weather conditions. Due to the elongated shape of the drops, surface water is better drained away from the road markings, which improves retroreflectivity. Glass beads are incorporated into road markings that reflect light from headlights back to motorists, known as retroreflectivity. When water remains on the road markings, this does not happen because the light beam is refracted by the water on the road markings. This makes the markings in wet nighttime conditions invisible, so to speak. On unlit roads such as the N502, this visibility is therefore extremely important.

These two features will provide greater road safety, and thus also benefits traffic flow.

Three years of testing

This innovative road marking came about through a collaboration with Van Velsen's partners; Geveko Markings, Hofmann Road Marking Systems and with Dura Vermeer and Waaksaam as area contractors in North Holland. On Friday, October 11, the road was reopened to traffic and road users were able to experience the new markings. Over the next three years, together with our partners, we will evaluate the experiences of drivers and local residents of this innovative long-dot road marking.