Glow-in-the-dark marks replace streetlights on Dutch Highway

These glow-in-the-dark road markings aren’t just pretty — they save money and energy, too. These luminescent strips replaced streetlights on a 0.3-mile stretch of highway in the Netherlands, part of an experiment that might change the way roads are illuminated across the globe.

The roads markings, which went into effect Sunday night, might even one day be able to include temperature-sensitive paint to warn drivers of the possibility of ice. The lights are charged up by the sun throughout the day and then last up to eight hours — long enough to get through most of, or all the way through the night. But it remains to be seen if the paint can stand up to the wear and tear of constant traffic.