Q: Dear Honk: I am writing to raise an issue that I suspect many early morning and late-evening drivers have experienced. Particularly around dawn, I have noticed that lane markings on the road can become nearly invisible. This creates an uncomfortable and potentially unsafe situation, as drivers are forced to rely on memory or guesswork to maintain proper lane position. What makes this phenomenon especially curious is that if I glance at my rearview mirror, the very same lane markings appear clearly visible behind me. In other words, the paint seems to reflect light effectively in one direction but not the other, depending on the angle of view and lighting conditions. Is this being actively addressed in road maintenance?
– Vicki Hahn, Lake Forest
A: Let’s focus on freeway lane markings, Vicki.
Honk has certainly come across this problem on concrete freeways, where the contrast of the highway and the markings wasn’t the greatest.
“Lane markings are designed to be reflective in the direction of travel so that they are visible at night and in inclement weather conditions,” Nathan Abler, a Caltrans spokesperson, told Honk in an email. “Glare from the sun can reflect off the markings and limit visibility of lane markings.”
Caltrans, Abler said, has taken steps to make the lane markings more visible:
• On north-south concrete freeways, black stripes are often put down on both sides of the reflective white stripes to make the white stand out. This approach is called “Oreo” striping.
• On east-west concrete freeways, Caltrans can use “Tiger” striping — alternating black and white stripes, because that is more visible with how the sun hits the roadway.
• Caltrans has changed the width of the white stripes on concrete and asphalt freeways, from four to six inches. “This also aids driver-assist systems with detecting markings,” Abler said.
• Caltrans has begun using special tape for the 12-foot-long freeway dashes, instead of a thermoplastic coating. The tape lasts longer, so road crews are less often exposed to traffic.
“Tape also leaves less damage to the pavement when removed, reducing the grind marks left in the roadway that can be mistaken for lane lines,” Abler said.
You can report any lane-marking concern or other problem to Caltrans at csr.dot.ca.gov
Q: I was reading in your column about the new, standard license-plate sequence, not having realized that there was a specific format before that is now getting changed. My confusion is that my own truck, purchased new in 2016, has a plate with five numbers, one letter, and then another number, which clearly doesn’t fit either format you mentioned. Is there a reason mine would be different? It’s a standard private pickup with no special status I’m aware of.
– Jeff Greene, Placentia
A: Honk is sorry for any confusion.
Your plate is standard, too — for trucks, from pickups like yours to 18-wheelers.
Honk had focused on the new sequence for cars, which is changing after 46 years.
“The different license-plate sequences help law enforcement and other agencies quickly identify the type of vehicle each plate is assigned to,” said Geovana Herrera, a spokesperson for the Department of Motor Vehicles.
The previous format for trucks was a number, a letter and then five numbers.
Motorcycles and trailers have particular sequences for their standard-issue license plates, too.
To ask Honk questions, reach him at honk@ocregister.com. He only answers those that are published. To see Honk online: ocregister.com/tag/honk. Twitter: @OCRegisterHonk