Reliability: The Key Advantage of High-Performance Road Marking System

The requirements for road markings have increased significantly in recent years. Growing traffic volumes, higher safety expectations, and the advancing integration of vision-based, automated driving functions demand consistently reliable road markings. Accordingly, road markings must deliver measurable performance parameters such as daytime visibility, night-time visibility, and wet-night visibility (Qd, RL, RW), as well as skid resistance (SRT value), under real-world conditions over extended periods. SWARCO Road Marking Systems is therefore intensifying the development of high-performance marking systems that provide the most stable performance possible over the longest possible service life. 
“Even under such extreme conditions, it is essential that our marking systems meet the required traffic-related performance criteria for as long as possible.”

Proven Performance 

On roads with high Annual Average Daily Traffic (AADT), high heavy vehicle share, and winter maintenance, markings must demonstrate their functionality under demanding conditions. “Even under such extreme conditions, it is essential that our marking systems meet the required traffic-related performance criteria for as long as possible,” explains Harald Mosböck, Vice President SWARCO Road Marking Systems. “To ensure this, we test our marking materials both under laboratory conditions and on test fields and test tracks. Only when our systems reliably meet the required limits are they approved for regular road application.” This is the only way to ensure compliance with normative requirements beyond the expected service life. 

This stability offers clear advantages for road and infrastructure operators: durable markings optimize the use of raw materials and reduce the need for frequent maintenance interventions. As a result, traffic disruptions – such as partial or full closures – are minimized. Fewer construction sites also increase infrastructure availability and reduce accident risk. 

Predictable Performance 

At the same time, foreseeable performance development enables forward-looking maintenance planning. Instead of reacting abruptly to threshold violations, interventions can be managed in a targeted and efficient manner. Another key factor is the ability to overmark without loss of performance. This enables cost-efficient and sustainable maintenance strategies for transport infrastructure. 

“Overall, the focus is clearly shifting toward a lifecycle-oriented perspective,” says Harald Mosböck. The foundation for long-term high performance is already laid during application. Process reliability plays a key role in consistently achieving the required performance values. In practice, temperature, humidity, and substrate conditions vary significantly. High-performance markings must therefore be stable and reliably applicable within defined application parameters. Only then can consistent high quality be ensured. 

Stable Performance 

Key influencing factors include precise layer thickness, homogeneous material distribution, and correct embedding of glass beads. The latter is essential for maintaining consistent retroreflection. Any deficiencies at this stage will affect performance throughout the entire service life. Therefore, stable material behavior is crucial to enable controlled application and minimize variability in execution quality. 

High-performance marking systems clearly enhance road safety by ensuring excellent visibility for both human drivers and driver assistance systems under all weather conditions. Their extended durability improves the ratio of material used to service life and reduces the need for reapplication cycles. In addition, high-performance marking systems consistently meet current EN standard requirements. This reduces the risk for contractors falling below specified threshold values after application. Vice President Harald Mosböck summarizes the resulting benefits: “This significantly reduces the risk of unplanned rework due to warranty requirements. Fewer claims ultimately lead to lower costs and more efficient processes.” 

FAQs

Reliability in road markings is multi-dimensional. In simple terms: how much can a marking system be relied upon—today, tomorrow, and over many years? The perspective depends on the stakeholder. For contractors, it may include a smooth application, while for road users, visibility is clearly the primary factor.

Standardized performance indicators such as Qd, RL, RW (retroreflection), and SRT (skid resistance) can be used. The key aspect is their performance over time – especially the measurable degradation under real traffic conditions – ideally assessed through dynamic measurements.

Yes, but they vary by country and road type. Based on current standards, high-performance marking systems meet these requirements – and maintain them for significantly longer periods than standard systems.

Road markings provide clear visual guidance through contrast and retroreflection, enabling reliable lane detection by camera-based systems. High-performance markings ensure that these visual references remain stable even under challenging conditions and over an extended period of time.

They reduce traffic disruptions and congestion risks while increasing predictability – both in terms of cost planning (budgets) and operational planning (maintenance measures, availability of marking equipment, etc.).