04-08-2025
Innovative new road feature to be expanded after 'successful' Aussie trial
More roads in Australia's most populous state will soon glow in the dark after a trial of the "innovative" new line markings was deemed a success.
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.
Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@
You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and YouTube.
