The RainLine Corporation - The All Weather Striping System

The RainLine system is a revolutionary hot-applied thermoplastic marking system that remains visible even under the heaviest rainfall. Over 30 years of research and development has gone into the RainLine system. The RainLine Corporation decided that a profiled line was the only effective long-term method to provide vision to the driver in wet conditions. After this, the next step was the development of a material that would retain the profiles.

ALL WEATHER PROFILED ROAD MARKINGS

Conventional traffic striping materials are coated with a surface layer of glass beads. These beads reflect light from the vehicle's headlights back to the driver's eyes. This allows him to see the traffic stripes at night. When a conventional flat-type traffic stripe is wet, the glass beads are coated with water and no longer reflect light back to the driver. When driving in wet conditions, all flat-type traffic striping becomes invisible.

The RainLine system is an all weather traffic striping system that places inverted profiles into the traffic stripe. The tiny profiles form small ridges which will rapidly drain away rainwater. This draining happens so quickly that the glass beads do not become covered with water. This allows the beads to continue to reflect light, making the traffic stripe visible even during the heaviest of rainstorms.

AUDITORY AND VIBRATORY ROAD MARKINGS

Standard RainLine emits a low humming noise when wheels pass over it, but sometimes a more aggressive sound is desirable. For those occasions we offer Audible RainLine. Audible RainLine will provide many of the same effects as ground in rumble strips and it provides delineation for the motorist at the same time.

Audible RainLine utilizes the same principles as Standard RainLine, with the addition of a regulated bump applied at specific intervals. After the bump is placed, the RainLine wheel jumps over it. The remainder of the time the wheel rolls along as in Standard RainLine.

PROFILED INLAID MARKINGS

RainLine markings can also be set into recessed grooves. By inlaying the line, it becomes impervious to snowplough damage, while still providing the same outstanding wet night reflectance.

HIGH QUALITY THERMOPLASTIC

The RainLine system requires a high quality thermoplastic to be at its most effective. A thermoplastic material must be thixotrophic to be suitable for use with the RainLine system. This means that when under pressure the thermoplastic moves easily, but when the pressure is removed it freezes into place. The recommended materials contain fibers for added strength and are formulated to provide flexibility, durability and a skid resistant surface.

SAVING LIVES

Recent accident figures gathered over the course of six years on over 300 miles of highway demonstrate a dramatic reduction in accidents on roads where RainLine was installed in place of previous flat-type markings.

The overall accident reduction was 5.7%, but the key results come when looking at accident reduction by severity. Property damage only accidents were reduced by 4.4%, Accidents with injury were reduced by 9.7%, and fatal accidents were reduced by 19%. These accident figures are calculated per 100,000,000 vehicle miles traveled.

PROVEN EFFECTIVENESS

RainLine markings are in place throughout the United States, including Alabama, Arkansas, California, Florida, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, New Jersey, Oregon and Texas. Worldwide, RainLine has also been used in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Sweden and the United Kingdom.

The RainLine system is covered by the following patents:

• US patent nos. 5,439,312, 5,511,896, 5,642,962 and 6,247,872
• Australian patent nos. 687377 and 759132
• New Zealand patent no. 261524
• European patent no. 0679208 and patent application no. 00915757.9
• Brazilian patent application no. PI008141-8
• Canadian patent application no. 2362516