Quality traffic paint is essential to communicate information to pedestrians and drivers on the road. Road marking requires high visibility materials to line roads, highways, and other vehicle pathways.
There are multiple factors to remember when choosing paint for a road traffic project. The best type of traffic paint depends on the location, environment, and state and national regulations. Manufactured striping machines use paint in different variations of formula and performance. It’s important to know how to make the right traffic paint selection to ensure durable, visible, and legal road markings. Explore how to make the right traffic paint selection by learning what to look for in various materials to meet the needs of your project.
1. Consider road marking location
Road marking locations such as parking lots, airport runways, and general traffic lanes rely on the right kind of traffic paint. The type of traffic paint required depends on the needs of the location and the placement of the road markings. High-traffic parking lots in the city require traffic paint that has high durability and longevity, whereas an airport runway prioritizes high visibility and requires traffic paint with reflective properties.
2. Consider environmental conditions
It’s important to select a traffic paint that’s designed for a specific environment to guarantee quality and longevity. If a traffic project entails a road that receives high UV exposure, a traffic paint with concentrated pigments can maintain visibility without fading. If a project involves a parking lot located near a body of water or built in a humid climate, it’s best to avoid water-based traffic paint.
3. Consider state and federal regulations
Standardized systems of colors and symbols for road markings are determined by state and federal regulations. These regulations vary between countries, states, and even counties. A regulation that affects both state and federal rules is the content level of volatile organic compounds (VOC) in the traffic paint used for road marking. These requirements also vary in quantity between states in the US.
Each type of traffic paint offers distinct features to suit different projects. There are many classifications of traffic paint with guidelines in place to regulate their application. The underlying goal of any road marking project is to maintain the safety of drivers and pedestrians using these pathways.
