news

Glow-in-the-dark roads coming to the Netherlands

A couple of Dutch firms are about to light up a highway at night using glow-in-the-dark paint that they believe will make night driving safer.


Studio Roosegararde and Heijmans Infrastructure have developed a paint that is treated with a luminous powder that "charges" during the daylight and glows for up 10 hours at night.

Their goal is to have all highways (and roads) eventually re-lined with the special paint so that visibility is improved.

The two Dutch companies have also designed a “dynamic paint” that reacts given certain temperatures. Made for colder climates where ice crystals can form, the paint activates freshly formed paint to warn drivers to slow down.

The glow-in-the-dark paint provides a safety benefit to all road users, as opposed to expensive in-car technologies that usually just favour those able to afford high-end vehicles.

The road safety plan also includes the potential for an electric priority lane that charges vehicles as they drive, as well as “wind lights” that only illuminate when a vehicle approaches.

Roosengaarde and Heijmans say the first metres of the “Smart Highway” will be in place in the Netherlands by mid-2013.

Chat with us!







Chat with Agent