Main article: Glass bead road surface marking Incident light is refracted within glass beads on road surfaces and reflected into the driver's field of view. Anon. "History of Road Markings and How They Were First Designed". Traffic signs and meanings. Traffic signs and meanings 2000-2010 . Retrieved January 29, 2010. Hayden, J. S. (2004). "Ecologically Friendly Optical Glasses". Optics & Photonics News. 15 (8): 36–41. Bibcode: 2004OptPN..15R..36H. doi: 10.1364/OPN.15.8.000036.

Cat's eye, invented by Percy Shaw in the 1930s, Cat's eyes equip many major routes in the British Isles. They consist of four reflective lenses mounted in a durable white rubber housing, two facing fore and two facing aft. The housing is mounted within a cast iron shoe, which the rubber housing sinks in to when driven over. This provides protection from snow plowing and allows the lenses to be self-cleaning—they pass a rubber blade when depressed. The lenses are available in a variety of different colors, mainly white, yellow/orange, green, red, and blue. In general European countries follow the Vienna Convention on Road Signs and Signals, which describes what road signs and road markings shall look like. The convention has some flexibility so road markings vary somewhat between the countries. Staff (May 9, 2006). "K. I. Sawyer (1884-1944)". Michigan Transportation Hall of Fame. Michigan Department of Transportation . Retrieved February 2, 2010.Other markings include in the cities, destination and exit names painted in the lanes, which is done due to the very close proximity of exits, where in many cases it would be impractical to put up many overhead signs, although these are often seen approaching exits, a curved or slanted arrow points to the side of the expressway the exit will be on. A straight arrow following characters indicates the destination of the expressway. Solid yellow beside solid white: no entry permitted from the lane the stripe is next to, but passing is permitted with caution. Inlay: The tape physically becomes part of the asphalt. Using the heat generated in the paving process, road workers lay special tape on the asphalt in the hardening process, and rollers compress the two together. The preformed polymer tape markings are slippery when wet, especially in large sections such as crosswalks, and caution should be used due to poor wet traction. In the United States, the demand for glass beads has led to importing from countries using outdated manufacturing regulations and techniques. [ citation needed] These techniques include the use of heavy metals such as arsenic, antimony, and lead during the manufacturing process as decolourizing and fining agents. It has been found that the heavy metals become incorporated into the bead's glass matrix and may leach under environmental conditions that roads experience. [20]

Pavement Markings". Ontario Driver's Handbook. Ministry of Transportation of Ontario . Retrieved January 6, 2009. Traffic cones are sometimes used to separate High-occupancy vehicle lanes from regular traffic lanes. They are also used in areas where lanes are used at different times for travel in both directions. These cones have shafts that drop into holes in the road surface. A good example of this type of use was the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, before they switched to a moveable barrier system. Road marking paint is essential for the demarcation and safety instructions of our roads. It is used for all road types, motorways, cycle lanes, pedestrian zones, parking spaces, and more. Road line markings provide awareness of hazards, instructions, and directions. Lane lines, chevrons, crossings, box junctions, parking bays, and symbols need to be clearly defined and visible for the efficiency and safety of all traffic. Other methods: Laser has been used in an experimental phase to remove markers, but the process is slow. A method of chemical applications to the markers to break them down is also used. This method requires pressure washing to remove the markers. In certain cases, masking the makers is preferred. Marking material is used to cover the markers or a portion of road surface. The color of the masking material is made to be similar to the color of the road surface. Some markings such removable preformed tapes are applied as a temporary marker removal measure. The most expensive method is resurfacing. This method is used only in limited cases. Thermoplastic line marking tapecan be used to create accurate, precise and long lasting lines on hard surfaces. It is ideal for car park line marking, industrial floor line marking and road line marking. It is designed to laid out over the surface and melted on to the ground using a blow torch. Yellow Line Marking Paint For Car Park Line MarkingConfusion with marks left by roadwork [ edit ] Typical dash marks in the middle of the lane after dowel bar retrofit roadwork [5] The History of the Pedestrians Association" (PDF). Living Streets. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 1, 2015 . Retrieved February 27, 2010. Air spray is a method of marking that uses compressed air to spray the paint onto the road surface. The finely atomized paint produces a thin and smooth layer, but the rebounding air flow causes significant paint scattering. This produces somewhat sloppy markings. In the U.S., the type, placement, and graphic standards of traffic signs, and road surfaces are legally regulated—the Federal Highway Administration's Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices is the standard, although each state produces its own manual based upon the Federal manual. [50]