Keeping people safer through better visibility – advances in retroreflective technologies for road signage, pavement markings and vehicle visibility delivering safer roads

The use of retro-reflective materials in guiding road users and delineating roadways at night have been in use for over 70 years and is still a key part of the road safety infrastructure on our roads today. The importance of effective road signage and line marking can be underestimated when seeking road safety solutions and an understanding of the new technologies available can give road safety practitioners a better toolkit when they are searching for lower costs, but effective solutions in improving road user safety. This presentation looks to communicate a basic understanding of the science behind retro-reflective materials as well as the new technologies that are available in the market. It looks at how these materials affect different road users including older drivers as well as those in larger vehicles such as trucks. It includes current global perspective on the use of these materials including research, international standards and best practice from other countries as well as Australasian solutions for road safety creating better and safer places to travel and live.