Innovative new road feature to be expanded after 'successful' Aussie trial
The photoluminescent markings were initially trialled on a 200-metre stretch of a notoriously dangerous New South Wales highway in an attempt to increase driver safety and help motorists "better see line markings" on roads with low visibility.
The feature — which absorbs and stores sunlight during the day and glows at night — was installed in December at the Bulli Pass in Bulli, south of Sydney. The area was chosen after 125 near-accidents were recorded in a 12-month period.
Bulli Pass is heavily used by large trucks and motorcycles, and the new line markings were installed "partway down the steep descent to increase awareness" of the sharp bend.
Six months on, Transport for NSW confirmed to Yahoo News that additional sites are now being reviewed based on "early success", with a 67 per cent drop in nighttime near misses.
What is the purpose of 'glow roads'?
A Transport for NSW spokesperson explained to Yahoo News the purpose of the technology is to "improve road safety at night and in poor weather by helping make line markings stand out. They offer an extra safety option where street lighting may not be practical."
"The benefit of the glow was greatest in improving visibility beyond the range of vehicle headlights —increasing the visibility of the lines on the bend to just below daylight detectability when the glow was fully charged," they said.
Community feedback revealed 83 per cent of drivers surveyed said the glow provided "increased peace of mind" when navigating the treacherous bend.
'Amazing' feature could take over roads, footpaths and airports
Pioneers of a similar road technology previously told Yahoo News that glow-in-the-dark road markings could be one of the many tools utilised by authorities to help achieve the ambitious goal of achieving zero deaths and serious injuries by 2050.
And not only can it be used for drivers on roads, it can even be expanded to footpaths, bike paths, helicopter landing pads and air strips in a bid to improve visibility and safety.
Clive Todd, founder of Lihten, previously told Yahoo News he'd like to see innovative glow paint used "anywhere and everywhere" it could improve safety.
"I want it to be in the key places which would help save lives," he said. "It's environmentally friendly, it saves electricity and it could save people's lives," he said.
A similar trial was conducted in Victoria in 2022, with the line markings added to a 1km section of Metong Road in the state's southeast. But back in July of this year, a VicRoads spokesperson told Yahoo the experiment was discontinued.
They said an independent evaluation conducted once the trial had concluded determined there was insufficient road safety benefits to justify adding more of the fluro lines to the state's roads, effectively axing any hope of the $4 million scheme being rolled out further.
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Associated Press
8 hours ago
- Associated Press
World Intelligent Vehicle Conference 2025 Successfully Concludes
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The brilliant minds come together to discuss the future development of intelligent vehicles Efforts need to be made on policy, capital, talent and other sectors in order to propel the advancement of intelligent vehicle-related industries. Achieving high-quality development in the intelligent vehicle industry demands collaborative efforts across all levels and from a wider range of stakeholders. The WIV 2025 received strong support from all sectors across the world. On the government side, a number of senior officials attended the conference, including Fu Baozong, Deputy Director-General of the International Cooperation Center, National Development and Reform Commission, Tu Xingyong, Deputy Director-General of Chongqing Municipal Commission of Economy and Information Technology, and Fabio Schina, Consul General of Italy in Chongqing. 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At the topic forum with the theme of 'Towards a Future of Intelligent Mobility Tackling Core Technological Challenges in Intelligent Vehicles', Yang Hong, Chairman and President of Shenzhen Hangsheng Electronics Co., Ltd., delivered a keynote speech titled 'AI-empowered and Ecosystem-supported Electronic Reconstruction and Evolution of Intelligent Vehicles'. Xu Jian, Vice President of PCI Technology Group Co., Ltd., shared his thoughts with the presentation titled 'From Laboratory to Open Roads: Reflections and Explorations on Autonomous Vehicle Safety Testing and Regulation'. Wang Haowei, Global Head of ADAS at JOYNEXT Technology Co., Ltd., elaborated on the idea of 'How CCU supports AI-defined Vehicles'. Jiang Sheng, SVP of NavInfo, discussed the topic of 'AI Infra and Data Closed Loop under the New Paradigm in Intelligent Driving'. Ning Wang, Vice President of Neusoft Reach, gave a speech on 'Vehicle-Cloud Integration Platform Drives the Upgrade of AI-Powered Scenario Experiences'. 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The attendees spanned from Electric Vehicle Association Of Malaysia, Association Pour le Développement de la Nouvelle Route de la Soie (ADNRS), IDC, Volcano Engine, North American Auto Professional Association (NAAP), Equal Ocean, Gosuncn Technology Group, CHIPSEA, VANJEE Technology, CICT Connected and Intelligent Technologies, Shanghai Taifang Technology, Volcanics Venture, HYGOAL Capital, HSBC, QuestMobile, World Trade Point Federation, China Brand Institute, China Automotive Engineering Research Institute, Chongqing Liangjiang International Economic Cooperation Center, Meetsocial, MiracoMotor, QCraft, Neolix, UISEE, BJCW, to Auto Planet. They provided multidimensional insights into the development trends of intelligent vehicles from their respective perspectives. Bringing the intelligent vehicle industry to the next level with multi-dimensional support China's auto sector, with 'AI+intelligent driving' as the core driving force, is accelerating the global autonomous driving race. 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At the Chongqing Intelligent Vehicle Closed-Door Think Tank Meeting, the participating panelists and local government officials discussed the approach to vehicle-road-cloud integration under the theme of 'Jointly Drawing up the Blueprint for the Automotive Industry through Government-Enterprise Discussion and by Pooling the Wisdom of the Elites'. During the meeting, Fu Baozong, Deputy Director-General of the International Cooperation Center, National Development and Reform Commission, and Lin Geng, Chief Engineer of Chongqing Municipal Commission of Economy and Information Technology, detailed the national and local governments' work plans for intelligent vehicle development, covering policy direction, development strategies, and overall deployment from both state and local perspectives. Professor Academician of Chinese Academy of Engineering, Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering, Founding President of World Electric Vehicle Association, Founder of the International Academicians Science & Technology Innovation Centre, and Distinguished Chair Professor of Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Kuang-I Shu, Academician of the Russian Academy of Engineering and Chief Scientist of Jiangsu Pulsar Technology Co., Ltd., Li Yidong, Dean of the School of Computer Science & Technology at Beijing Jiaotong University, Professor, and Doctoral Supervisor, and Zhu Dongfang, President of Asia Digital Group, proposed future development strategies, informed by their research and the latest intelligent vehicle technologies. Taking a global outlook, Fabio Schina, Consul General of Italy in Chongqing, Dennis Chuah, Chairman of Electric Vehicle Association Malaysia, and Chen Chaozhuo, Director of North American Auto Professional Association and automotive industry overseas expansion consultant, proactively analyzed intelligent vehicle development and proposed strategies to facilitate the international expansion of China's intelligent cars, highlighting the importance of global collaboration for achieving win-win outcomes. Drawing upon their companies' unique strengths, Wang Tan, Co-Founder of XPeng AEROHT, Yang Hong, Chairman and President of Shenzhen Hangsheng Electronics Co., Ltd., Zhu Chuanqin, Chairman of Chongqing VDL Electronics Co., Ltd., Gao Ming, Vice President of Black Sesame Technologies, and Dongsheng Wu, Senior Vice President of Gosuncn Technology Group, discussed the current state and emerging trends in intelligent vehicle development, with the goal of advancing the entire industry during this new phase of growth. During the two-day conference, representatives from various sectors across the world visited Chongqing Yongchuan manufacturing base of Great Wall Motor (GWM) Company Limited, and carried out a detailed on-site investigation at GWM's smart plant through the Business Investigation of Chongqing Intelligent Vehicle Ecosystem. They went to Chang'an Automobile Global Research and Development Center (Liangjiang New Area) and visited the State Key Laboratory of Intelligent Vehicle Safety Technology, gaining firsthand experience with smart manufacturing and technological innovations, and engaging directly with industry experts, technical specialists, and corporate executives to discuss advancements and the future of the sector. Another highlight of the conference is the display of the latest intelligent vehicles made by a host of well-known brands, including Tesla, Yangwang, Denza, Fang Cheng Bao, Li Auto, XPeng, NIO, ONVO, Deepal, Avatr, Wey, Voyah, Leapmotor, and BYD's Dynasty and Ocean series; MiracoMotor, Neolix, and presented their self-driving vehicles; Guangzhou Frontop Digital, Automotive Software Innovation Center (Chongqing), Kernelsoft, World Trade Point Federation (Switzerland) Chongqing Representative Office, Chongqing Automobile Supplies Industry Association, BIZMEDIA Group and other automotive industry chain enterprises also showcased their latest achievements in intelligent vehicle technology at the Exhibition of Sci-Tech Innovation Achievements in Intelligent Vehicle. The WIV 2025 has concluded, but the synergy of technology, capital, and policy driving China's intelligent vehicle revolution is undeniably intensifying. Let's look forward together to a future of intelligent mobility that will reshape the automotive landscape. View original content: SOURCE Asia Digital Group
Yahoo
15 hours ago
- Yahoo
Caravan repairer warns over hair-raising but 'common' trick after customer's 'crazy story'
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Yahoo
16 hours ago
- Yahoo
SINBON Doubles US Manufacturing Footprint to Meet Growing Demand in Industrial Robotics, Automotive, and Renewable Energy Sectors
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