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Whether you’re on a 400-series highway or a country road, faded road markings have become an issue for all Ontario drivers.

After one of the wettest summers on record, Ontario’s road markings have worn down, making them difficult to see, and requiring the provincial government to replace pavement markings on the road. Some busy roads have their markings redone two or three times a year, causing traffic delays and coming at a cost to taxpayers.

Weather-resistant, durable pavement marking technology has the potential to withstand increased precipitation and heavy traffic for several years. The durability factor is a game changer — road markings that last longer not only provide better visibility and safety for drivers but are also a more cost-effective solution for the province by avoiding the need to reapply annually.

“Road Safety is about keeping drivers safe, keeping pedestrians safe, and helping people who are on our roads get home safely,” said Lu Li, global marketing manager at 3M, which has developed wet reflective pavement markings. “That’s our mission.”

Historically, Ontario has invested in lower-cost road-painting technology that wears off quickly and performs worse than higher-end solutions. These solutions may be cheaper in the short-term, but they’re prone to wear faster from traffic and weather and constantly need to be reapplied. High performance, durable wet-reflective markings are warrantied and shown to perform for multiple years.

Li said that the more sustainable and cost-effective choice for the province is to adopt durable wet-reflective markings that hold up better in tougher conditions.

“The current markings have these little reflectors, almost like little mirrors, if you will, that reflect your headlights back to your eyes,” he said. “Those work well in dry conditions.”

“But, as soon as you put a little bit of moisture on top, the science starts changing, the way the light bends is different, and you can’t see the markings anymore.”

You can contrast this to wet reflective pavement markings, which, as the name suggests, continue to reflect light in rainy conditions during both the day and nighttime.

Government statistics suggest more than half of driving fatalities occur in the dark, when it’s even harder to discern road markings, which is why improving the quality of road markings would have a domino effect of improving overall safety measures.

In fact, research suggests this improved road-marking technology helps reduce wet-night fatal injury crashes by approximately 49 per cent.

So, not only does this technology save taxpayers money, it also helps to save lives.

This makes it all the more puzzling why the Ontario government has yet to update its standards and specifications to allow for upgrades, especially considering the technology has been available for years.

“This technology is not new,” said Li. “We are starting to lag behind our peers and it’s time to take a leadership position.”

Several U.S. states, including northern jurisdictions like Minnesota, have been using these new road markings for years and have already seen significant improvements.

“We're talking to the public, we’re talking to the government, because the data's there,” said Li. “This is about road safety and now we just need to drive awareness.”

For Li, the biggest obstacle is how long it often takes for the government to embrace change. It would be unreasonable for the province to change all the road markings within a few weeks, he continued, but the government needs to quicken its pace.

That’s why the priority must be on the province’s highways, which help transport millions of Ontarians on a daily basis.

And there’s no time to waste, said Li, given Ontario is barreling towards the wet and slushy shoulder season that precedes winter’s arrival.

“Unfortunately, we’re starting that season now and you’re probably going to find yourself looking for the lines on the road, which aren’t going to be visible unless you have some significant overhead lighting,” he said. “Even then, the rain is going to be up against you.”

“It’s not hard to picture the impact you can have by adopting what is really a low-cost countermeasure.”

Road-marking technology may not be a hot button political issue, but it’s also a very attainable fix for a provincial government looking to improve road safety.

One would think this would be top-of-mind for Premier Doug Ford’s administration, which has promised to expand road infrastructure by building Highway 413 and the Bradford Bypass in southern Ontario.

Want to ensure those projects are as safe as possible for drivers? Invest in durable, wet-reflective road-markings, said Li.

“We're not talking about adding new lights or installing new barriers and concrete steel, we’re talking about upgrading the lines on the road,” he said.

The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of 3M Canada and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of iPolitics.

Ontario can better protect drivers by adopting new road line technology

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