Reflective Driveway Markers: What You Need to Know

If you’re plowing driveways, you’re likely dealing with inclement weather and snowfall obstructing your visibility. Moreover, you can’t count on snowstorms to politely wait until the sun’s out, when brightly colored markers are easily seen.

Night-time and early morning plowing are just part of the job. But do you have the right tools?

Reflective driveway markers help ensure pros and amateurs alike can see boundaries and hazards no matter how dark it gets. Read on to learn about the reflective stakes we’ve launched this year.

How Do You Make Driveways Visible at Night?

Plow markers (or snow stakes) are one of the most important tools of the trade—after your truck and plow, of course. The sight of brightly colored stakes lining driveways and hazards when the flurries start falling is as much a sign of winter as holiday lights and decorations.

During the daytime, bright oranges, pinks, and other colors sharply stand out against white or muddied snow, making it easy for snowplows to follow defined boundaries. But while these colors are vibrant, they’re not reflective. So, you can still lose track of them during those long winter nights.

Reflective driveway markers solve that issue, shining back to ensure you can spot stakes wherever your headlights point. And retroreflective material is one of the Federal Highway Administration’s three go-to methods to improve nighttime driving visibility.

Plow Right’s Reflective Stakes

To better equip the snowplow industry and meet our customers’ requests, Plow Right now offers reflective driveway markers. They feature a 2” band of white reflective material at the top for unmatched nighttime visibility, ensuring you can always quickly determine their location.

Like our other stakes, they’re available in multiple colors at 26”, 36”, or 48” lengths. This way, you can pick your favorite or use multiple to outline specific boundaries and hazards to keep an eye on.

And in 2022, we’re also debuting our new Advanced Polymer Blend, which provides optimal performance and rebound! Our dependable new stakes never splinter, crack, or break like their fiberglass or wooden counterparts. Furthermore, they’re easily reused to help you cut down on resupply costs.

How Do You Install Reflective Driveway Markers?

Installing driveway markers is a simple three-step process with Plow Right’s installation tool—no hammering or digging necessary:

1. Slide the reflective stake into the tool.
2. Push the stake and tool into the ground using the T-shaped handle.
3. Remove the tool, sliding it up and off the planted stake.

Where Should Reflective Driveway Markers Be Placed?

Reflective stakes should be positioned every 10-15 feet for straight driveways and as needed to outline any key points along curves. However, you may want to be extra cautious and use more stakes for plowing new customers’ properties until you have a better feel for the path.

Generally, it’s recommended to place markers 1-2” in from the driveway to best protect lawns from being torn up.

In addition, be mindful of any hazards like fire hydrants, gas meters, or lawn features that a plow might impact. Additional stakes should be used to make them clearly visible regardless of accumulation or growing snowbanks. This may be even more necessary for commercial properties depending on their shape and any additional hazards, like dumpster areas or individual curb stops in parking lots.

Are Reflective Driveway Markers Only For Snow Plowing?

Reflective snow stakes aren’t just for professional plowers—or the winter.

If you’re at all concerned about seeing your driveway’s boundaries in the dark, you can install reflective markers to help guide you whether or not there’s snow. Compared to installing in-ground light fixtures, stakes are substantially less expensive, maintenance-free, and don’t increase your utility bill.

Plus, it can help you imagine you’re docking a spaceship every time you pull into your driveway when the markers “light up”—a benefit on its own.

Ensure Plowing Visibility and Safety with Plow Right’s Reflective Driveway Markers

Plowing already deals with obstructed vision and snow-covered areas, so there’s no reason to make the job more difficult. Especially for nighttime plowing, you want to ensure that you can clearly see all boundaries and hazards—and reflective driveway markers are the best solution.

This year, protect your equipment, your clients’ property, and minimize the risk of paying for damages by installing Plow Right’s reflective stakes made from our new Advanced Polymer Blend.

Contact us today to learn more about the best driveway markers—but be quick, as the 2022 supply of our latest product is limited!