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3M Lines

Improved Lane Marking Visibility in Wet Conditions

Driving in the rain at night is tough enough without losing the guidance of traditional lane lines. They seem to virtually disappear, even in light rain. 3M wet reflective pavement markings transmit light better in wet conditions and help increase the visibility of lane markings.

See the difference...

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Did you know . . .

How Rain Affects Roadway Safety

  • Studies show that wet reflective pavement markings are more easily seen in rainy conditions than typical pavement markings, providing drivers an increased margin of safety and comfort

  • Precipitation reduces visibility distances and pavement friction (along with vehicle traction and maneuverability), and can create lane obstruction

  • During rainfall, roadway capacities and traffic speeds decrease while travel time and accident risks rise

  • There were over 6.3 million vehicle crashes on U.S. highways in 2001 and of those, over 22 percent-more than 1.4 million-were weather related

  • Of weather-related crashes, nearly 79 percent occurred on wet pavement and 49 percent happened during rainfall

    • Nearly 5,400 people were killed and nearly 511,000 people were injured in crashes on wet pavement

    • Over 3,200 people were killed and nearly 309,000 people were injured in crashes during rainfall

Sources
Federal Highway Administration Road Weather Management Program,
Weather-Related Crashes on U.S. Highways in 2001,
Nighttime Visibility and Retroreflectance of Pavement Markings under Dry, Wet, and Rainy Conditions, University of Iowa, Schnell et al
Wet Night Visibility of Pavement Markings, Virginia Tech Transportation Institute, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Gibbons et al