Background:
The requirement for mobile retroreflective measurement technology for is driven by the needs of customers – the global national road authorities, road maintenance industry, automotive industry and the requirement to maintain national road marking retroreflectivity standards to reduce road related accidents and fatalities and also allow the effective use of the fast developing safety technologies in vehicles.
The Needs of the Global Transport Road Maintenance Industry
The RetroTek technology for retroreflective (Rl) measurement was developed to address the maintenance needs of the Global Transport Road Industry to measure and maintain the night visibility of road assets such as road markings and road studs.
- Capable of measuring retroreflectivity (Rl) accurately and repeatably
- Survey multiple road assets simultaneously
- Acquire data in ‘Real’ dry/wet driving conditions at night
- Survey at normal traffic speeds
- Economical to acquire and operate
- Safe for the road maintenance operator to use and the other road users
EuroRAP & EuroNCAP
Recently a Quality Standard for Road Markings and Traffic Signs on Major Rural Roads “Roads that cars can read”, was published jointly by EuroRAP and EuroNCAP with contributions from the FIA, ERF and ACEA. It states that inadequate maintenance and differences in road markings and traffic signs are now a major obstacle to the effective use of technology in vehicles, such as lane departure warning and traffic sign recognition.
Based on an overview of existing national practices and research and discussions between consumer associations, safety organisations, vehicle manufacturers and sign and marking industries, EuroRAP and EuroNCAP believe that road markings on Europe’s roads should adopt a simple, memorable “150 x 150” standard already commonly in use. Lane and edge markings should be a consistent 150 millimeters wide, and markings in the dry should reflect light at 150
millicandela (mcd).
When launching the report, EuroRAP chair John Dawson says: “There needs to be a fundamental change in the discipline we apply to road infrastructure. Lane markings are now the ‘rails’ for self-steering vehicles. The safety standards of the rail and aviation industry need to be applied to major roads.” EuroNCAP Secretary General Michiel Van Ratingen added: “We set demanding standards for 5-star cars. We must now move towards 5-star roads where the quality of road markings and signs are assured to work with modern vehicles.”
See link for further details: Cars of the future need readable roads now.
Reflective Measurement Systems are members of the following organizations:
Participating member of ASTM
ASTM International, formerly known as the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM), is a globally recognized leader in the development and delivery of international voluntary consensus standards.
Committee Member of NSAI road equipment mirror working group.
Committee member of CEN Working Group CEN/TC 226/WG 2.
Responsible for Road safety equipment standardization and standardization in relation to road equipment & specifically horizontal signs – road markings and studs.