Europe Road surface marking

1 europe

1.1 netherlands
1.2 norway
1.3 united kingdom

europe

even within european union every country has own standards. here same road section german-style (at top) , french-style (below) road markings

in general european countries follow vienna convention on road signs , signals, describes road signs , road markings shall like. convention has flexibility road markings vary between countries.

most european countries reserve white routine lane markings of kind. yellow used mark forbidden parking, such on bus stops. however, example norway has yellow markings separating traffic directions. many countries use yellow, orange, or red indicate when lanes being shifted temporarily make room construction projects.

in netherlands, germany, sweden, , uk, so-called naked roads have been trialed, whereby visible road markings, kerbs, traffic lights, , signs removed, on urban roads. when tested in seend, village in uk county of wiltshire in 2005, county council reported accidents fell third, motorists speed falling average of 5%. has been suggested naked roads force drivers make eye contact other road users, , nonverbal communication responsible reduction of accidents. other have suggested road markings, middle marker, make road main road, triggering faster , more relaxed driving, while no marking makes road lower quality road.

it experience introduction of marking, @ least on narrow roads , in curves, middle lines make drivers stay on side when meeting, , therefore reducing meeting accidents. note 2005 experiment on urban roads. in sweden, local streets have no marking.

netherlands

in netherlands general lines white, while yellow lines used mark forbidden stopping (interrupted yellow), forbidden parking (uninterrupted yellow) , temporarily lining @ construction projects.

shoulder lines interrupted outside built-up area make driver aware presence of crossing bicycles , pedestrians, driveways , stopping cars. wider roads have single, in cases have double centre line. interrupted center lines mean overtaking allowed, solid line means overtaking not allowed, depending on side of double line solid. smaller roads , roads bycicles allowed don t have center lines, , many country roads have no lines @ all. there center line in sharp curves.

shoulder lines on expressways , motorways solid imply general absence of crossing traffic , residential driveways, disallowance of leaving road on places other specified exits. expressways have double centre lines. exit , acceleration lanes separated block marking .

furthermore several traffic signs painted on road, such speed limits , warning sings.

norway

in norway, yellow lines used separate traffic moving in opposite directions , on left shoulders of paved roads, , white lines used separate traffic moving in same direction, , on right shoulders of paved roads. on roads narrower 6 metres (20 ft), centerline removed, , shoulder lines broken. short, broken lines means passing allowed, long, broken lines means passing allowed dangerous, , double yellow line means passing forbidden. roads speed limits below 60 km/h indicate passing allowed dangerous, has short yellow line instead of long one. on motorways, left shoulder yellow line, in us. other european countries use white lines these types of lines.

united kingdom

a box junction in london, pictured atop monument in 1969

in england, idea of painting center white line first experimented in 1921 in sutton coldfield, birmingham. following complaints residents on reckless driving , several collisions, sutton coldfield corporation decided paint line on maney corner in area of maney.

in 1971, correspondent sutton coldfield news wrote article in newspaper recalling event.

the line put down experiment there lot of accidents there, in days of motor car. experiment proved successful whole country adopted standard road safety device, , later foreign countries paint lines on roads, well.

during world war ii pedestrians association lobbied government make safer pedestrians walk during black out. result, white lines painted on sides of road , pedestrians allowed use small torch.

in uk, first white line road markings appeared on number of dangerous bends on london-folkestone road @ ashford, kent, in 1914, , during 1920s rise of painted lines on uk roads grew dramatically. in 1926 official guidelines issued ministry of transport defined , how white lines on roads should used. broken white line in direction of travel, gaps longer painted lines, indicates centre of road , there no hazards specific design , layout of road, i.e. no turnings, sharp bends ahead etc. broken white line in gaps shorter painted lines indicates upcoming hazard, proportion of white black indicates degree of hazard i.e. more white means more hazard.

the minstry of transport experimented double-line road markings first time on sections of a20 , a3 during easter in 1957. markings cautionary, , had no legal status @ time, motorists advised ignoring them weigh heavily against involved in accident in vicinity. further, in order, if safe so, cross lines when broken 1 on side. not in order cross when solid line on side or park there. despite instruction parking, observed 9 bus stops located inside prohibited parking areas.

a double solid white line indicates line may not crossed, overtaking permitted if can performed safely without crossing line. solid lines can crossed in specific conditions (entering premises, overtaking stationary vehicle, overtaking vehicle, pedal cycle or horse travelling @ less 10 mph, or when directed police officer). solid white line broken white line parallel indicates crossing line allowed traffic in 1 direction (the side closest broken line) , not other.

solid white lines used mark outer edges of road.

a double yellow line (commonly known double yellow ) next kerb means no parking allowed @ time, whilst single yellow line used in conjunction signs denote parking restricted @ times. double , single red lines mean stopping not allowed @ time or between times respectively.

on many roads in uk, retro-reflective road studs, including known cat s eyes when referring halifax type road stud, placed in road. these devices reflect light car s headlights towards driver in order highlight features of road in poor visibility or @ night. colour of road studs differs according location. defining division between lanes white, red road studs placed along hard shoulder of motorways, dual carriageways , other roads mark left-hand edge of running lane; , orange road studs placed along edge of central reservation. green road studs denote slip roads @ grade-separated junctions , road-side lay-bys.

comprehensive information highway markings in uk can found in highway code , on gov.uk website.