A new type of road marking that glows in the dark is making its way onto more Australian roads after a successful trial in New South Wales.
In December 2024, photoluminescent line markings were installed along Bulli Pass, a dangerous, winding road south of Sydney. The goal was to improve visibility and safety at night, especially for truck and motorcycle drivers.
The results? Impressive. Night-time near misses dropped by 67%, and more than 80% of drivers surveyed said they felt safer with the glowing lines.
How It Works
The road lines are coated with a special paint that absorbs sunlight during the day and glows at night, similar to glow-in-the-dark toys. This helps drivers see road edges, curves, and lanes more clearly in low light and bad weather, especially in places where streetlights aren’t practical.
What’s Next?
Thanks to the success at Bulli Pass, Transport for NSW is now reviewing other high-risk areas across the state for future installations. The glowing lines could also be used on bike paths, footpaths, helicopter pads, and airstrips to improve safety in more places.
Will Other States Follow?
Victoria trialled similar technology back in 2022, but didn’t continue with a wider rollout. Now, with NSW’s strong results, there’s fresh interest in adopting the glow-in-the-dark lines more broadly across Australia.
As states aim to cut road deaths and serious injuries to zero by 2050, this simple but clever idea could be one bright step forward.
