PHOTO The country where 6,000 people die annually in road accidents has tried a futuristic solution. Until a big problem arose

Malaysia's experiment with glow-in-the-dark painted roads promised a futuristic solution to dangerous nighttime driving — until authorities scrapped it, at least for now.

In October 2023, a two-lane rural road near Semenyih, Malaysia, was illuminated – not with traditional street lamps, but with phosphorescent paint designed to glow in the dark for up to ten hours after sunset. The markings, painted over a length of 245 meters, were intended to guide drivers safely through an area long plagued by poor lighting and frequent power outages, writes the Daily Galaxy.

In a country where more than 6,000 people die in road accidents every year, many of them on unlit rural roads, the idea seemed to be both timely and pragmatic. Malaysia's Public Works Department (JKR) introduced the initiative as part of a wider effort to upgrade road safety infrastructure, particularly in disadvantaged regions.

Wow!

Ni bukan di luar negara, tapi ini di Batu Pahat. 😱

Implementation of Garisan Jalan Bersinar Dalam Gelap (Glow in The Dark) along 300m of Jalan Paloh.

📸: JKR Batu Pahat pic.twitter.com/qiavDfGnrL

— AE (@arfdy12) May 12, 2024

According to a report by The Straits Times, public reaction has been overwhelmingly positive, with many drivers praising the visibility of the light strips in heavy rain and fog, conditions that usually render conventional markings almost useless.

But less than a year later, that “glow” faded. In November 2024, the Deputy Minister of Public Works, Ahmad Maslan, stated in Parliament that the government would not continue the large-scale implementation of this initiative. The reason, he said, was simple: cost. According to Automotive News, the price per square meter of phosphorescent paint is nearly 20 times higher than the price of standard, white road markings.

A good idea for dark roads

Glow-in-the-dark road markings are not new to Malaysia. Since the early 2010s, tests have been conducted in the Netherlands and Japan using strontium aluminate-based paint, which absorbs sunlight during the day and emits a dim light at night without requiring electricity. But in most cases these were aesthetic or experimental installations, often limited to short stretches of highway or bike lanes.

Malaysia's attempt was more ambitious: a serious test to assess whether phosphorescent markings could replace traditional lighting infrastructure in low-income or remote areas. As Public Works Minister Alexander Nanta Linggi explained during a site visit, the light lines performed well in wet and foggy conditions and remained visible for hours at night – factors that could improve driving safety, especially in areas where street lighting is sparse or unclear.

Social media users noted this. “Malaysian roads are going to look brilliant – no pun intended,” one Instagram user joked, as quoted by The Straits Times. Others urged the government to introduce the technology on all rural highways and village roads, where visibility remains a constant hazard.

Budget realities and initial setbacks

Despite the initial enthusiasm, the economic situation quickly changed. According to Deputy Public Works Minister Ahmad Maslan, the tests conducted in Selangor and Johor fell short of expectations, both in terms of performance and cost justification. Plans to expand the system to 15 locations in Selangor, as well as expanding to 31 pilot roads in Johor, were eventually abandoned after internal reviews.

The problem wasn't just the initial cost. Experts from the Malaysian Institute of Road Safety Research (MIROS) have expressed concern about durability, especially in Malaysia's humid climate with heavy rainfall. Similar concerns were documented in a 2021 study published in the International Journal of Pavement Research and Technology, which found that phosphorescent coatings in tropical environments degrade faster, often requiring reapplication within 18 months.

CAT JALAN 'GLOW IN THE DARK'..#Semenyih #Selangor Menteri Kerja Raya Datuk Seri Alexander Nanta Linggi reviewed the installation location at jalan 'glow in the dark' yang pertama di Malaysia di Jalan Sungai Lalang hari ini.

The concept is that the garisan di jalan raya looks normal… pic.twitter.com/kXo9iexg2B

— BERNAMA (@bernamadotcom) November 15, 2023

Given these limitations, officials argued that expanding the project would divert funds from more urgent infrastructure needs. “We conducted tests, but they did not satisfy the ministry's experts,” Maslan said.

Changing public opinion and political priorities

The abandonment of light strips also reflects a change in public opinion. While initial reactions hailed the innovation, subsequent feedback focused on fundamental infrastructure issues – potholes, blurred lines, poor signage. On Facebook and X, users urged the Department of Public Works to prioritize long-standing problems instead of investing in high-tech experiments.

One commentator, quoted by The Straits Times, summed up public sentiment: “Ask your officials to drive in the rain or at night – you will find poor visibility, potholes and uneven roads. These are the causes of accidents.”

Although Malaysia has put the project on hold, global exploration of phosphorescent infrastructure continues. Researchers at Delft University of Technology and Japan's National Institute for Land and Infrastructure Management are perfecting the technology in hopes of reducing costs and improving environmental resilience. But for now, widespread adoption remains the exception rather than the rule.