As your auto body shop, if there’s one thing we hear complaints about in Colorado often, it’s the lane markers. Any time it rains, it gets difficult to see them, fast. But the question is, are there better lane paint solutions? To find out, we did a little digging into how the lane markers are created now, and whether or not it’s the best option for our state and the safety of our drivers. Here’s what we found out.
Reflective Paint
While some critics have said they don’t believe that CDOT uses reflective paint on their lane markers, turns out that’s just a myth! They do, in fact, use a reflective paint on all their lane markers. So if that’s not the answer to why the visibility on the lane markers fades so drastically in a solid summer/fall storm, then what could it be?
The Winter Compromise
As it turns out, the culprit to blame is winter. Because Colorado tends to see some solid snow action every year, many lane markers are placed on the road in a slight indent, so that when the plows are out in the winter they don’t scrape the paint off. Because of this, when we get a solid rain, the little inlets fill up with water, making the reflective paint harder to spot. It’s a compromise that was made to keep the lane markers lasting longer and therefore creating an efficient use of taxpayer’s money, but the trade-offs can be frustrating for drivers.
What Can We Do?
Unfortunately, there’s not much to be done, because the CDOT makes these decisions after considering a number of factors, including best utilization of the funds available. However, if you’re worried about being safe on the road when those markers get less visible, we urge you to consider being more aware of your surroundings. Just like you would do if a winter storm hit and the lanes got wiped out, following the flow of traffic around you and adjusting to create lanes together is a good way to go. As long as you know what’s happening around you, your eyes are on the road, and you’re taking everything as it comes, at a reasonable speed to keep you safe, you should be ok. Even though it can be frustrating, understanding the reasoning behind some of the decisions made for us Coloradans on the road can help ease the frustration and better prepare you to be the safest driver possible. And hey, that’s never a bad thing.
