Here’s another complaint from the DriveSmartBC Inbox: “Please speak
to the situation that I call the “Invisible White Lines” on our highways
as soon as we get some rain and whilst driving in the dark. Night
visibility in winter is terrible.
There are no reflectors on the highway edge like in Washington State.
And don’t let Highways tell you the lines are worn off by plowing as in
the Okanagan we have had hardly any snow and there is no sand on the
roads yet you can’t see either the center line
or the right side lines of the highways.
I have driven in BC for 50 years without an accident and the road
visibility is terrible every year. I speak to many other people who have
the same observation and complaint.”
This driver has about 5 more years experience driving on BC highways
than I do, but if I sit and consider the changes that I have seen over
the years I can only agree with part of what has been expressed.
The addition of solid white lines at the shoulder became widespread
after I started driving. Ditto with the installation of more reflectors
on the sides of the road and reflectors set into the center of the
highway.
What I have noticed is a change in the durability of the painted lines.
If I go for a walk near my home I can see flecks of yellow paint in the
gravel of the road shoulder. Whether this is due to poor adhesion,
temperature cycles or ploughing and sanding abrasion
I can’t say for sure, but it is probably all three.
As you can imagine, keeping our highways properly marked or adding improvements must be a very large job.
The TranBC blog contains an article on the MOTI’s quest for durable
paint. Apparently environmental rules for volatile organic compound
pollution ended the use of oil based paints in 2010 and the replacements
were not as hardy.
They followed up with another article on a promising find in April 2017.
If you are interested in the standards for paint required for highway
marking, they are found in section 321 of the Standard Specifications
for Highway Construction.
Highway delineation requirements start at page 7.21 of the Manual of Standard Traffic Signs & Pavement Markings.
I have always found it difficult to drive in the rain after dark. Where
the lines and delineations do not help, the only option that I have is
to adjust my expectations to suit the conditions. For me, this means
slowing down to a speed that I am comfortable
with and making room for others that don’t hold the same view.
Story URL:
https://www.drivesmartbc.ca/lanes/we-need-better-lines-more-reflectors
—
Constable Tim Schewe (Retired)
DriveSmartBC: Where better than average road users satisfy their curiosity.