Road markings can change how people drive and ride, lowering speeds and improving positioning without major infrastructure changes. Trials in the Scottish Highlands found motorway injury collisions fell by 61% using behavioural road marking interventions.
Visual cues shape driver and rider behaviour
Markings are often seen as traffic instructions, but they also affect how road users perceive the road ahead. Features like optical speed reduction markings, edge lines and gateway designs influence speed and positioning instinctively.
Behavioural psychology explains this effect. People react instantly to visual information, often unconsciously. On the road, markings shape behaviour by altering perception rather than depending on enforcement or physical traffic calming.
Project PRIME shows real-world safety improvements
Project PRIME (Perceptual Rider Information for Maximising Expertise and Enjoyment) aimed to boost motorcycle safety on rural roads. Led by Professor Alex Stedmon and supported by WJ Group, Transport Scotland and BEAR Scotland, the initiative applied gateway road markings informed by behavioural psychology.
During a three-year trial, over 32,000 motorcyclists were monitored at 22 Scottish Highland locations. The results showed better positioning through bends, smoother braking and lower entry speeds. No motorcycle collisions occurred at trial sites during phase one.
Phase two delivered a 61% reduction in annual average motorcycle injury collisions and a 46% drop in serious or fatal motorcycle crashes across all trial locations.
Simulator tests reinforce the effect on driver behaviour
Research from Montella et al used a driving simulator to assess markings’ effect at tight bends on rural two-lane roads. Treatments like coloured transverse strips, dragon’s teeth markings and coloured median islands reduced speeds on approach and through bends.
They also helped drivers recognise bends earlier, encouraging gradual deceleration. Though limited to simulation, the findings support markings’ role in promoting safer driving via visual perception.
Edge lines increase driver confidence, reduce route avoidance
Research from the Road Safety Markings Association, based on a survey of 2,000 UK drivers, found 73% felt safer on roads with edge lines. Twenty-three percent avoid some roads at night weekly due to visibility concerns. One in five plans routes to steer clear of poorly marked roads.
Sixty-seven percent said clearer edge lines would make them more willing to drive on rural roads after dark. When drivers feel unsure, they might hesitate, slow abruptly or select alternative routes, increasing risk and congestion.
Cost-effective safety assets for UK highways
WJ Group’s marketing manager, Rob Elsby, said: “Road markings communicate with road users, influencing how they interpret the environment and make decisions. Project PRIME shows behavioural science combined with engineering can improve safety.”
He added that road markings should be seen as strategic assets in highway safety, helping authorities meet casualty reduction targets while managing constrained budgets.
“Well designed markings reduce risk and boost driver confidence. They help make better use of existing infrastructure as part of a wider safe system approach,” Elsby said.
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