Driving in Japan???

[jrbabbitt]

I have been to Tokyo only once in my life and i have a curious question i'd like to be answered, In the Tokyo 246 track, on various parts of the racecourse the pavement is "red" (the quick "S" section on the back stretch and the Esses just before the last turn before the long straight) I would like to know why the Pavement is red? (and please do not say its all the blood from hit & runs) Thank you.

 

[Parnelli Bone]

NOt a clue...

 

[DK]

You've been to Tokyo? You lucky man.

 

[Danny]

All I could dig up.

Japan was experimenting with colored pavement to mark high-hazard horizontal curves and also as a tool for positive guidance and lane assignment through complex intersections. This could be particularly advantageous to older drivers.

Link.

 

[daan]

Maybe it's a high grip surface coming up to junctions/pedestrian crossings/traffic lights.

Like this.

 

[jrbabbitt]

You've been to Tokyo? You lucky man.

Yes, back in 1985 via the USMC
this is the section in real life via google maps i am asking about, why the red pavement?

 

[Daniel]

I think there's an increase in height as you go along a small kink. I guess driving at high speeds can be dangerous on there. And IIRC, on that red road there should be yellow lines. The lines become closer the further you go along on them - creating the sense of speeding up. Which causes you to slow down, as you go along the corner...

Just my two cents (although we don't have pennies in New Zealand... on 10c and up )

 

[RaidoGT]

Not all of that road is red. I walked a part of it back in 2007 (closer to the imperial palace) a bit further up the road.
Doubt if the color is a speed indicator, since it's not used that way in other parts of Japan. But Danny's quote could be right, it could be part of an old experiment in speed perception - with the result that it wasn't carried through in the end.

BTW, just noticed that after Tokyo (and other cities depicted in GT4), Hong Kong is now visible in Street View as well.

 

[Car-less]

It looks very much like the high grip surface that daan mentions.

Around here they use it approaching junctions, and occasionally on dangerous bends.