Machine-readability of road markings in the Nordic Countries

This study sponsored by the Danish Road Directorate and supported by the Finnish Transport Infrastructure Agency, Finland, the Norwegian Public Roads Administration, Norway, and the Swedish Transport Administration, Sweden, examined how advanced driver assistance system (ADAS) lane departure warning (LDW) and lane keeping assist (LKA) detect road markings on Nordic road networks. The project included an empirical study literature review, interviews with industry experts, and a pilot study to evaluate machine-readability with contrast ratio under various light and weather conditions. The study concluded that the often stated trope, “There are no clear relationships between machine-readability and conventional performance parameters.” If road markings are visible for the human eye, ADAS lane keep and lane departure warning systems perform well. Missing and very worn markings should be remedied.