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Glow-in-the-Dark Spray Could Make Night Driving Safer

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Starpath glow-in-the-dark coating for roads
A screengrab from a video about Pro-Teq's glow-in-the-dark Starpath coating, which can be sprayed onto roads to illuminate them at night. (Image credit: YouTube | Pro-Teq)

How can you make roads safer for drivers? One company, known as Pro-Teq, is testing glow-in-the-dark material that can be sprayed onto roadways to help illuminate the way for night drivers.

The U.K.-based company developed a waterproof photoluminescent coating, called Starpath, which absorbs light during the day and gives off an ethereal glow at night, according to Treehugger. The coating is non-reflective and has anti-slip properties, which could reduce the number of accidents on motorways, reported Treehugger. Starpath-covered roads could also help communities save money and energy, since they are bright enough without street lamps. 

The technology is currently being tested on walking paths in Christ's Pieces park in Cambridge, England. Applying the spray coating took only 30 minutes, and the walking paths were open to the public four hours later, reported Treehugger.

"Our surface works best over tarmac or concrete, predominantly tarmac, which is the main bulk of the U.K. path network," Neil Blackmore, Pro-Teq sales director, told Treehugger. "When it's coming to the end of its useful life, we can rejuvenate it without system, creating not only a practical, but a decorative finish."

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Denise Chow
Denise Chow
Live Science Contributor

Denise Chow was the assistant managing editor at Live Science before moving to NBC News as a science reporter, where she focuses on general science and climate change. Before joining the Live Science team in 2013, she spent two years as a staff writer for Space.com, writing about rocket launches and covering NASA's final three space shuttle missions. A Canadian transplant, Denise has a bachelor's degree from the University of Toronto, and a master's degree in journalism from New York University.