Car crashes may hopefully become a thing of the past – as trials of a futuristic glow-in-the-dark road have been given the green light.
The smart road design that features luminescent tarmac and weather indicators that show a snowflake pattern whenever the temperature drops below a certain level.
Designer Daan Roosegaarde created the visionary highway, which won the prestigious Best Future Concept award at the Dutch Design Awards, and will be trialled next year on a small stretch of road in Brabant, Holland.
He said: “One day I was sitting in my car in the Netherlands, and I was amazed by these roads we spend millions on but no one seems to care what they look like and how they behave.
“I started imagining this Route 66 of the future where technology jumps out of the computer screen and becomes part of us.”
Studio Roosegaarde have developed a special glow-in-the-dark powder that charges up in sunlight and gives off strong light for up to ten hours.
The high-tech road also contains wind indicators, dynamic paint that only becomes visible in response to low temperatures and signs that change according to traffic situations, automatically opening extra lanes if traffic is heavy.
That overflow lane is set to be able to charge electric vehicles, in a bid to increase their range.
A spokeswoman for Studio Roosegaarde said: “Research on smart transportation systems and smart roads has existed for over 30 years – call any transportation and infrastructure specialist and you’ll find out yourself.”
