Traffic management

Poul Svensgaard explains the importance of road signs and markings and reveals why standards are key to improving driving conditions.

“I have no doubt that high-quality road markings and signs will help improve safe driving - but it will not do it alone”
-Poul Svensgaard

Why are road markings and signs important for improving safe driving in the MENA region?
Poul Svensgaard. Driving on roads especially at night-time can be a challenge. US statistics show that driving at night-time increases the risk of fatal accidents almost three times, a figure that is probably not too different from the MENA region. Road markings and signs are important traffic aids in guiding the traffic safely and reducing the risks of accidents. Wear and tear from traffic and sunlight will reduce the retroreflection from road markings and road signs over time, and they need to be maintained or replaced before they lose performance. Only well maintained road markings and road signs will offer the maximum traffic guidance and safe driving conditions.

How is it possible to know when a road marking or a road sign supporting safe driving needs maintenance or to be replaced?
PS. Road markings and road signs have to be checked at intervals to make sure they perform and provide proper traffic guidance. If they do not meet the performance criteria they need to be maintained or replaced. Performance evaluation can be done in different ways, but the only objective way is to measure the retroreflection using a retroreflectometer. A retroreflectometer is placed on the road marking or road sign and within seconds it will tell if the marking or sign meet the criteria.

Are there any standards supporting safe driving?
PS. There are written standards available, the main ones normally referred to are the European (EN 1436, EN 12899) and the US (ASTM E 1709, ASTM E 1710, ASTM E 2540) standards. A standard first of all states how to measure retroreflection from road markings and road signs. The European standards also provide guidance for minimum retroreflection levels for different types of roads, road markings and road signs. Such guidance for the US is located in the National Standards for Traffic Control Devices. It is my impression that many countries in the MENA region have not yet put standards in place for measuring retroreflection or guidance for minimum retroreflection levels, an area that would benefit from improvements, if more safe driving conditions are to be obtained. 

Will improved performance of road markings and signs alone provide safer driving conditions in the MENA region?
PS. I have no doubt that high quality road markings and signs will help improve safe driving - but it will not do it alone. Many other factors affect safe driving like speed, quality of the roads, experience and age of the driver (elderly people need more light at night for safe guidance). The challenge in the MENA region is to evaluate each possible factor that may affect unsafe driving conditions and decide which measures to undertake to improve the situation. Making sure that road markings and signs perform well is one of the easiest and cheapest ways towards improving safe driving conditions.

Poul Svensgaard is Executive Vice President of DELTA's Light & Optics division. Svensgaard has an MSC in Electrical Engineering and has studied at Henley Management College. He has held numerous management roles within marketing and sales during his professional carrier, as well as held executive positions with global business responsibility.