Painted bars on Durham roads to help reduce speeding

Lisha Van Nieuwenhove

Motorists traveling around Durham, may soon start noticing horizontal white lines painted in the middle of the lane in which they’re driving. What are they for, and how do they work?

The Region of Durham says these lines are known as optical bars, and they give drivers the perception they are going too fast or speeding up. Essentially, the space between the markings reduces over the length of the area where the lines are painted, giving the illusion of increased travel speed, which encourages motorists to slow down as the spacing narrows.

The Region says that this is a “simple but effective road safety initiative” that is part of the Durham Vision Zero Strategic Road Safety Action Plan that aims to reduce and ultimately eliminate injuries and fatalities on regional roadways.

Learn more about the Durham Vision Zero Strategic Road Safety Action Plan at durham.ca/VisionZero.