Nighttime Visibility

Pavement Markings

Overview

Adequately maintained retroreflective pavement markings improve nighttime highway visibility and reduce the risk of crashes by bouncing light from vehicle headlights off of the traffic control device and back toward the vehicle and the driver's eyes. This makes markings appear brighter and easier to see and read at night. Because the retroreflective properties of pavement markings deteriorate relatively quickly, highway agencies need to actively manage their maintenance , remarking as needed in order to ensure that they remain clearly visible at night..

Use the links below to obtain pertinent information related to pavement markings. The subject areas are grouped as follows:

Pavement Markings

• Regulations / Standards
• Implementation Tools
• Research