Road Markings

Author
Discussion

Cryssys

Original Poster:

541 posts

45 months

Thursday 18th January
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Anybody else noticed that road markings on many unlit B roads have been left to fade away in many places. On many B/country roads near me it almost impossible to see the dividing lines.

Given the number of pot holes on the nearside many people tend to the middle of the road and frequently stray over onto the opposite side. It doesn't help when someone in an oversized SUV insisting on hogging the middle of the road cos they don't want to scratch or dirty their pride and joy. I've seen some near misses recently, particularly during dusk, you really have to be on your guard.

Guess this is just another example of cash strapped councils neglecting their responsibilities and putting peoples lives at risk.

volvos60s60

577 posts

221 months

Thursday 18th January
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Ah, road markings, my pet moan. What really gets me with road markings is how on a dark night with heavy rain the roads markings become almost invisible. How is it that in 2023, with all our advances in the technology, that we can't come up with a decent paint that performs in the rain and dark, it's not as if these conditions are uncommon

Megaflow

9,919 posts

232 months

Thursday 18th January
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I have noticed. And it is not limited to B roads, some of the main trunk roads round here as just as bad. At night in the rain, it’s almost guess work now!

CoolHands

19,451 posts

202 months

Thursday 18th January
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Don’t worry they’ll reduce the speed limits

Vision zero! lol

Cryssys

Original Poster:

541 posts

45 months

Thursday 18th January
quotequote all
volvos60s60 said:
Ah, road markings, my pet moan. What really gets me with road markings is how on a dark night with heavy rain the roads markings become almost invisible. How is it that in 2023, with all our advances in the technology, that we can't come up with a decent paint that performs in the rain and dark, it's not as if these conditions are uncommon
Good to know I'm not the only one.

The technology is there, look at motorways markings and the poundings they take but they still show up. I think it's just a case of councils not having the money to properly maintain the roads. Very similar to the pot hole problem. Technically there's no problem doing the work problem is there's no money to do it.

Vasco

17,364 posts

112 months

Thursday 18th January
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volvos60s60 said:
Ah, road markings, my pet moan. What really gets me with road markings is how on a dark night with heavy rain the roads markings become almost invisible. How is it that in 2023, with all our advances in the technology, that we can't come up with a decent paint that performs in the rain and dark, it's not as if these conditions are uncommon
....or even 2024...

volvos60s60

577 posts

221 months

Friday 19th January
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Vasco said:
volvos60s60 said:
Ah, road markings, my pet moan. What really gets me with road markings is how on a dark night with heavy rain the roads markings become almost invisible. How is it that in 2023, with all our advances in the technology, that we can't come up with a decent paint that performs in the rain and dark, it's not as if these conditions are uncommon
....or even 2024...
Quite right Vasco, but it was the same problem last year as well......

QuickQuack

2,364 posts

108 months

Friday 19th January
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Roundabouts is another place where they're often worn out and disregarded. One of my pet peeves is people ignoring roundabout lane markings... mad

Riley Blue

21,632 posts

233 months

Friday 19th January
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Cryssys said:
Anybody else noticed that road markings on many unlit B roads have been left to fade away in many places. On many B/country roads near me it almost impossible to see the dividing lines.

Given the number of pot holes on the nearside many people tend to the middle of the road and frequently stray over onto the opposite side. It doesn't help when someone in an oversized SUV insisting on hogging the middle of the road cos they don't want to scratch or dirty their pride and joy. I've seen some near misses recently, particularly during dusk, you really have to be on your guard.

Guess this is just another example of cash strapped councils neglecting their responsibilities and putting peoples lives at risk.
Does a dotted white line down the centre of a country road influence how you drive when you spot a pothole?
You'd slow down or steer round it irrespective of whether there was a line there or not, wouldn't you? If you didn't spot it, a line wouldn't help you at all.

Same with vehicles in the centre of the road, either you see them or you don't; a line doesn't make any difference.

Likewise on dark nights in heavy rain, drive to the conditions.

johnoz

1,043 posts

199 months

Friday 19th January
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This, all coupled with the lack of working Cats Eyes too..

It seems that there removing them all and filling the hole in, or the frame it there but the eyes are gone.

That said the lack of lines is a common thing now.

Tommo87

4,713 posts

120 months

Friday 19th January
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QuickQuack said:
Roundabouts is another place where they're often worn out and disregarded. One of my pet peeves is people ignoring roundabout lane markings... mad
We have multi lane one nearby that used to be nightmare with everyone staying in the wrong lanes for the exists they wanted until they put in dotted lines that forced people to move out a lane as each junction was passed. An immediate improvement overnight.

Now some of these lines are wearing out, we seem to have a resurgence of the original,problems.

Coxey

452 posts

114 months

Friday 19th January
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Cryssys said:
Anybody else noticed that road markings on many unlit B roads have been left to fade away in many places. On many B/country roads near me it almost impossible to see the dividing lines.

Given the number of pot holes on the nearside many people tend to the middle of the road and frequently stray over onto the opposite side. It doesn't help when someone in an oversized SUV insisting on hogging the middle of the road cos they don't want to scratch or dirty their pride and joy. I've seen some near misses recently, particularly during dusk, you really have to be on your guard.

Guess this is just another example of cash strapped councils neglecting their responsibilities and putting peoples lives at risk.
Yes I was thinking this just the other day, obviously down to budget cuts or something

Cryssys

Original Poster:

541 posts

45 months

Saturday 20th January
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Riley Blue said:
Does a dotted white line down the centre of a country road influence how you drive when you spot a pothole?
You'd slow down or steer round it irrespective of whether there was a line there or not, wouldn't you? If you didn't spot it, a line wouldn't help you at all..
The problem is that rather than steer round pot holes some people routinely drive to the right and in the absence of clear markings on narrow roads they frequently stray over the middle. Once there, some are remarkably reluctant to move back over in the face of oncoming traffic thereby squeezing it hard over to the left.

Yes, it's poor driving on their part but it's only made worse by the absence of clear road markings. Like I said I've seen some near misses and there have been a number of occasions where I have been forced very close to the edge of the road by oncoming vehicles hogging the road.

Steve_H80

376 posts

29 months

Tuesday 23rd January
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Clear road markings have to be the cheapest road safety feature out there, but everyone is so cash strapped even these have to go.
But most folks would rather have a few pounds a month lower tax I guess.

jamei303

3,029 posts

163 months

Tuesday 23rd January
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A county councillor told me that due to recent regulations restricting certain chemicals they now have to use a paint that doesn't last very long. I've no idea if this is true or not.

Pent

286 posts

26 months

Tuesday 23rd January
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from what i read somewhere could be ball sheet , having no dividing lines in country lanes makes drivers drive slower. so if they are fading away no need to replace them. Rarely seen cats eyes around wiltshire on small roads. plenty of mud though