Botts Points are round, non-reflective pavement markers. These markers are commonly used for road safety and control. In different areas, Botts points are used to mark lanes on major roads such as expressways and arterial roads. They are white or yellow. They serve as alternate lines. These are normally made from a combination of different materials, particularly ceramics and plastics such as polyester.
These raised pavement markers are credited to Dr. Elbert Dysart Botts, who worked at the California Department of Transportation and oversaw the research that ultimately led to the development of markers for highway safety. But even though Botts points are credited as the result of an investigation by the California Department of Transportation, they are used around the world, including in Australia, New Zealand, and Middle Eastern countries like Sudan and Kuwait. On major highways and accident-prone areas, streets and lanes are often marked with a combination of Botts dots, non-reflective raised markers, and conventional reflective markers. When using the combination of markers, the need to repaint lane dividers is eliminated. Common areas where combinations of reflective and non-reflective raised pavement markers are used include mountainous areas where there is frequent fog and rain and areas with a significant amount of snow.
Botts points are also common fixtures in areas with high traffic and high accident rates, even if there are no reports of snowfall or para. Ultimately, the use of these increases the visibility of lanes and markers at night. This would ensure the safety of road users and can significantly help reduce the number of accidents. Pavement markers were thought of early, around the 1930s. The idea was toyed with, but not given much thought because there was no need for it. At that time, additional equipment for traffic control and road safety was not necessary. However, most of the research on these markers at the California Department of Transportation began after the war, around the 1950s. These markers were developed primarily because there was a sudden and exponential increase in the number of automobiles on the road. road. As a result of the sudden increase in automobiles, the number of car accidents also increased.
So the idea of markers came to the developers mainly because they noticed that there are times when painted lines are not useful, like in case of rain. The earliest pavement markers were made of glass. Botts suggested in the research that pavement markers be placed on roads through the use of nails. But this presented a problem for car owners because in cases where the spikes became loose, the spikes punctured the tires of passing vehicles. To solve the problem, the team used epoxy to keep the markers glued to the road. When this proved effective, several legislatures mandated that Botts points be used to help improve traffic control and road safety. Initially, they were placed on regular highways, such as secondary streets that have two-way traffic. But their effectiveness in helping road users prompted lawmakers to decide that these raised pavement markers should also be placed on highways and major roads.
The Botts’ dots were eventually accompanied with reflective markers like the reflective plastic reflectors to make the lane lines more visible.
