Road markings are a psychological barrier and an important component of a highway, which function in guiding and controlling the traffic. It also channelizes the pedestrians and cyclists movement into a safe location ensuring smooth and orderly flow of traffic and for promoting road safety
The main purpose of longitudinal marking is to guide and navigate the driver for forwarding movements and to prohibit overtaking maneuvering at certain at hazardous locations to avoid sideswipe and head-on collision accidents.
The transverse markings are provided across the carriageway for the purpose of traffic control with broken lines, single/double continuous lines such as stop marking and give-way marking. These transverse markings are always accompanied with corresponding signs.
The hazard markings facilitate the major actions of the vehicles such as traffic merging/diverging, prohibiting to cross-over, and deflecting the traffic ahead of hazardous situations. These markings are generally done with chevron and diagonal marking, hatch marking and prohibitory marking.
The markings made on the road which are in blocks such as zebra crossing for pedestrians, triangular and checkered marking for speed breakers. The quality of block marking with adequate visibility is of utmost importance.
The arrows painted on the carriageway are meant to give direction for the driver to take mandatorily turns.
The word message which is directional in nature is classified under directional marking.
The markings which are intended to facilitate the parking for the vehicles are termed as facility marking.