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Especially in the summer months, it is not uncommon to see a caravan of odd-looking vehicles traversing the middle and sides of roads keeping the various road lines looking sharp. These road lines help to govern the way we drive by ensuring proper allocation for our cars within a single lane (or more depending on if the road is a highway). Without street lines, traversing major highways and other busy roads would be a dangerous prospect. We may take these road lines for granted, but in reality, putting down thousands of gallons of road paint is quite the undertaking. Let’s take a look at how our roads are painted.
The Process
For long stretches of road, the most practical solution for painting road lines and other various markings is the infamous paint truck. The paint truck is fairly simple, as it typically has a large container for the paint itself. For more complex operations, some trucks have two containers for paint, one for yellow and one for white. A rubber line then connects the paint container to a paint gun that is pressurized with compressed air. Once the paint gun is properly lined up over the roadway, the truck travels down the road at roughly 15mph in order to lay a steady coat of paint down. A supply truck will also follow along to refill the paint containers on the paint truck.
For crosswalks, parking lots and other areas that are too small for the paint truck to maneuver in, companies and governments will utilize “walk behind stripers.” These stripers usually have a small motor on them and are essentially a miniature version of the paint truck and can easily be pushed by a single person. Essentially, these stripers allow for more detail and less disruption of traffic. If one of these machines is not practical, then the good old-fashioned paintbrush will suffice along with a proper template.
The Paint
The paint itself is like many other paints out on the market. It is water based and is easily applied to the surface of the road. However, in order to make the paint stick almost permanently to the road and make the lines visible at night, glass beads are applied over the paint. For areas that cannot afford a coating of glass beads, the paint itself is infused with reflective chemicals that react with light at night. The only downside to this type of paint is that it does not last as long and needs to be touched up on a consistent basis.
Keep Your Eyes Peeled
Either after a new surface has been laid or it is that time of year to touch up the various lines on the roadways, drivers should keep an eye out for such activity. Besides potentially adding a new colour to your auto (which is rather hard to get off), drivers should slow down and obey all signs near a road painting operation for safety’s sake. In most cases, besides the paint truck itself, a paint supply truck also follows along to ensure that there is enough paint to cover vast stretches of road, so be on the lookout for both.
Here are a few driving tips to keep in mind when a road painting operation is happening in front of you. When the truck that is doing the painting is in the middle of the road painting dividing lines or on the side of the road, it typically travels at around 15mph. At speeds this slow on highways and other places with high speed limits, you can come up upon this slow moving vehicle rather quickly, so be on the lookout if an operation is going on. Next, try to stay somewhere in the neighbourhood of 10 car lengths behind the paint truck and the supply truck if feasible. This way you minimize the risk of wet paint being splattered onto your auto.
If You Get Tagged
Finally and most importantly, if you happen to drive over a wet line or paint is splattered on your car, attempt to locate some denatured alcohol. By rubbing this particular alcohol on semi-wet paint, you will more than likely be able remove the abhorrent yellow or white paint with ease. From there, you should make your way to a car wash to remove any remaining traces of paint and the alcohol itself. However, if you notice the paint well after it has dried, take your vehicle to a local body shop to see what they can do for you. If the area covered is minimal, they should be able to restore your car’s original luster at a reasonable cost.
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