Seocho-gu Installs Nation's First 'Water Droplet Safety Lane'... What Are the Effects?

Seocho-gu Maehyeon-ro and Baumoero 2 Locations (1.1km) Pilot Installation of 'Waterdrop Safety Lane'... 'Waterdrop Safety Lane' Improves Lane Visibility with 2-3 Times Higher Retroreflectivity than Road Traffic Act Standards, Reducing Water Film Phenomenon During Rain.

Installation of Droplet Safety Lane (Maehun-ro, Baumoero)

Comparison of Water Drop Safety Lane (Left) and Regular Lane (Right)

[Asia Economy Reporter Jongil Park] Seocho-gu (Mayor Eunhee Cho) has pilot-installed ‘Droplet Safety Lane’ with high lane visibility even at night and during rain at two locations (1.1 km) on Maheon-ro and Baumoero.

Drivers often face difficulties in driving as road lanes are hard to see at night and in rainy weather, leading to lane departures.

Especially elderly drivers and beginners experience greater difficulties. In fact, the risk of traffic accidents during the day in rainy weather increases by 20%, and the risk at night increases by 50%.

To reduce such traffic safety risks, the district introduced the ‘Droplet Safety Lane,’ which applies a plasticized ambient curing paint in a droplet protrusion shape on the road surface.

Unlike conventional road lanes, the ‘Droplet Safety Lane’ prevents water from pooling on the lane surface during rain, avoiding hydroplaning. Glass beads are coated on the droplet-shaped lane to increase the retroreflection area (reflecting incident light back to the light source), making the lane more visible.

Additionally, in the upcoming era of autonomous vehicles, it can prevent traffic accidents caused by vehicles failing to recognize road lanes due to heavy rain. This technology has already been introduced in advanced countries in Europe and North America, such as Germany, Denmark, and Canada.

After the pilot installation, measurements of the retroreflectivity (luminance) of the ‘Droplet Safety Lane’ showed visibility improved by about 2 to 3 times compared to the standards under the Road Traffic Act. While the retroreflectivity of general lanes during rain was close to ‘0,’ the Droplet Safety Lane exceeded the standard even in rainy conditions.

Retroreflectivity refers to the index of light reflected from glass beads on the lane 30 meters ahead of the headlights and perceived by the driver’s eyes, measured in mcd/㎡·lx.

The district plans to collect opinions from related organizations and residents, conduct continuous monitoring, and gradually expand the installation of ‘Droplet Safety Lanes’ in sections with heavy traffic where managing lane reflectivity is difficult, as well as in vulnerable traffic zones such as children protection areas.

Eunhee Cho, Mayor of Seocho-gu, said, “The Droplet Safety Lane is expected to contribute to creating a safe road environment without traffic accidents,” and added, “We will continue to do our best to create a road environment where all residents can feel safe.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.