Cycling is booming. Each second, four bicycles are sold in the world. This is a significant challenge for politicians and urban planners, as the share of cyclists in road casualties is disproportionately high. And children are especially at risk. Studies have shown that measures targeting infrastructure improve safety. Visually conspicuous road markings have proven particularly effective. SWARCO Road Marking Systems has developed a wide array of marking materials which make bicycle lanes safer.
Amstetten, 22nd July 2020 – According to the latest estimates, there are more than a billion bicycles in use on the planet. And, according to the International Bicycle Fund, nearly 130 million new bikes are sold worldwide every year. In parallel, the number of casualties among cyclists has grown considerably. Cyclists are much more likely to be severely injured or killed in road accidents than other road users. For this reason, improving cycling safety on roads is the number-one priority.
Visually Conspicuous Bicycle Lane Markings for More Safety
“For a long time, authorities relied on the idea that just by having more cyclists on the road, cycling would be safer and motorists would pay more attention. But this safety-in-numbers effect has since been disproved many times”, Andreas Nagel, Product and Sales Consultant at SWARCO Road Marking Systems, explains. Visually conspicuous infrastructure, on the other hand, does work. Its effectiveness is at the heart of a research report by Wesley E. Marshall and Nicholas N. Ferenchak published in the Journal of Transport & Health. Modern road markings are among these infrastructures. “In Vienna, for instance, before-and-after comparisons revealed that it is possible to reduce the number of accidents significantly by using coloured bicycle lane coatings”, Nagel says.
Colours Work for Road Safety
Soothing green coatings on bicycle lanes and warning red markings on intersections have both proven their worth. “When choosing marking systems, location, traffic intensity, cost-effectiveness and environmental compatibility must all be factored in. In urban road traffic, cold plastics and thermoplastics are recommended as they are both durable and safe, even in slippery conditions”, Nagel explains.
Tried and Tested Systems for Bicycle Lanes
SWARCO Road Marking Systems has a wide variety of materials in its product portfolio. “Colouring using SWARCO’s roller plastics and textured cold plastics, finished with white pictograms and directional arrows, is a tried and tested system. For this purpose, we use the EUROTHERM preformed thermoplastic, which is welded on directly. To improve anti-skid resistance, colour-matched glass granulates can be added”, Nagel describes. Once they have been applied, roller plastics and textured cold plastics can no longer be deformed. They are extremely resistant to abrasion and high pressure. EUROTHERM is a factory-preformed thermoplastic marking material with high environmental compatibility. This highly versatile material can take on many different shapes and colours, which would take much effort to reproduce on roads using other materials.
About SWARCO Road Marking Systems
Quality products and services from SWARCO Road Marking Systems guide traffic safely from A to B by day and, above all, by night. On all types of roads. Whatever the weather. From a single source. Over 5,000 customers in more than 80 countries place their trust in them.
For further information visit: www.swarco.com/rms
