Safety with Simplicity: Thoughts from the field

Take a look at this photo of ARRB's reflectivity measuring vehicle and the truck.

That truck consists of 4 long trailers.

How amazing is it, to think that when driving it is a simple white line that separates these two vehicles. This line provides the ultimate safety by dictating what lane each should use.

Have you ever wondered how white lines reflect and some appear brighter than others? The paint is part of this, but it is the small glass beads that do the real job. You cannot just go down to your local hardware shop and get some white paint to paint the roads. Industry specific paints are used including waterborne and thermoplastic resins. When the paint is being laid retro reflective glass beads, (which means it reflects some light back to its source) are added to the mixture. However, like everything overtime paint fades, gets dirty and needs to be renewed.

ARRB has invested in Retrotek reflectivity units that provide comprehensive measurements of the road lines to enable our clients to manage this crucial asset. Mounted on the front of the vehicle using GPS, HD cameras, and illumination LED Projector modules, ARRB is able to provide our clients with comprehensive line information. Currently we have several field teams out measuring the reflectivity of lines in Queensland.

References
https://blog.csiro.au/how-road-markings-save-lives/
https://www.reflective-systems.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/Retrotek-D-Brochure-July-2020.pdf