>>>Driving on the rural highways in Ontario, at night, in the rain can be a nightmare: They have a camber: they're light grey in colour such that the faded central white lines can't be seen under the surface wet; they're full of winter pot-holes; the rain puts an overall sheen over the surface such that you get the visual effect of driving on crumpled cellophane; it's hard to discern where the road ends and the shoulder begins; dazzle from oncoming headlights.
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>>>If ever there was a candidate for central line cat's eyes, this is it.
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>>I've been saying that for years. You're absolutely right. When it rains at night, it's impossible to see where the road is. You generally end up following somebody else's tail lights and hoping he/she knows the way. The worst is being the first in line and everyone is following you and you have no idea where the road is.
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>Yeah! :-) I've been there!
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>>I can't understand why, whenever they repair roads, they don't just install cat's eyes as a matter of course.
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>Maybe the winter subsidence would just swallow them, or the undulations would mean they're no longer at the correct angle to reflect. Anyway, I've never seen ANY cats' eyes in Canada.

Supposedly the biggest problem with cats' eyes (they say) is in winter. In order not to damage them, the snow plows have to slow down to about 35 KM/H. Normal plowing speed is double that. Again, supposedly, the Ontario ministry of transport is evaluating different types of road markers. Right now, they use reflective road signs so you don't drive off the road, but you're right, for the most part, there are no good road reflectors on Ontario roads. A few municipalities do use them on sharp corners and the like, but that's about it.

As far as the plows are concerned, I hear that Minnesota uses them fairly extensively, and I haven't heard why their snow plowing doesn't appear to be an issue. I think the bottom line regardless of what the ministry says out loud is cost. They are looking for something really cheap and can't find it.