Luminescent road paint

Existing road markings fail to provide optimal safety and comfort for road users in low visibility conditions (night, fog, rain, snow, etc.). Current road marking methods are insufficient, obsolete and unsuitable for autonomous vehicles which require clear road markings visible 100% of the time to function. Luminescent road paint has been developed in the past, largely in northern Europe, but these paints are not sufficiently resistant for sustained use on roads and highway networks, only lasting a matter of weeks before beginning to degrade.

We have developed a new luminescent paint that provides a higher level of comfort and safety for road users by increasing the visibility of road markings in low visibility conditions. This luminescent paint stores solar light during the day and light from headlights at night, releasing the stored light in low visibility conditions (night, fog, rain, snow, etc.). Our technology is based on a different chemical composition from that of competing solutions, which enables it to be much more resistant to UV and damp conditions. The first proofs of concept demonstrated the high durability of the paint under real conditions over a prolonged period. This new paint is suitable for use with the new autonomous vehicles due to arrive on the road. These autonomous vehicles rely heavily on clear, visible road markings to navigate. In addition, this paint avoids the need to install lighting in some areas whilst still maintaining a sufficient level of safety and comfort, which enables significant reductions in energy consumption and increased ease of installation.