Malaysia's Glow-In-The Dark Roads Were Supposed To Save Lives – But They've Hit A Snag

Malaysia's Road Safety Plan is a government initiative to reduce the amount of accidents on the country's roads and is set to run between 2022 and 2030. According to government statistics, over 4,000 people lost their lives on Malaysian roads in 2020, with accidents costing the country an estimated RM21 billion ($4.97 billion USD) per year. To improve road safety, the government has trialed new technology, including painting roads with glow-in-the-dark lane markings in an effort to improve their visibility for drivers at night.

The initial trial took place in Semenyih, Selangor, in 2023 and involved a small stretch of two-lane road. According to the Straits Times, Malaysia's Works Minister Alexander Nanta Linggi claimed that the road markings could glow for up to ten hours per night, with their glow still visible even in rain storms. A study published in Planning Malaysia reported that drivers found the glowing markings easier to see during low-light conditions, but despite the positive feedback from road users, the markings haven't been rolled out to a wider number of roads.

A government minister told Malaysia's parliament in November 2024 that the scheme couldn't be expanded due to its high costs. The additional safety provided to road users driving at night was deemed to be too minimal to justify the implementation of further glowing markings, which were reportedly 19 times pricier than conventional white markings. With that, what seemed like a promising new technology was indefinitely shelved.

The trial in Malaysia was not the first time that authorities around the world have explored the use of glow-in-the-dark markings to improve road safety. In 2014, officials in the Netherlands approved a trial to test luminescent markings on a stretch of highway, but the paint that was used proved to be susceptible to moisture damage and so quickly faded after it was installed. State governments in Australia have also trialed glowing road markings, with a trial in Victoria taking place in 2022 and a second trial in New South Wales beginning in 2024.

Much like in Malaysia, the Victorian trial ended with the government opting not to widen the scheme, with a spokesperson telling The Autopian, "the evaluation report determined there were insufficient road safety benefits to justify" further adoption. However, the New South Wales trial was more successful, with an official telling Yahoo News that the six-month trial period saw a 67% drop in near misses during nighttime hours. The results of a public consultation are currently under review, and so there's a chance that New South Wales might opt to roll out more glowing markings in the future.

For now, there's no indication that state governments in the U.S. are planning on trialing glow-in-the-dark road markings. Still, there are plenty of precautionary measures that drivers can take to keep themselves safe on the road at night, including being aware of highway hypnosis and taking steps to avoid it.