Wartime England saw the curbs of paved roads being painted white which assisted drivers at night when driving with blackout hooded lights quite a bit in towns and villages. Automobiles and bicycles also had rear bumpers or fenders painted white so they could be seen just prior to being run over.
Probably helped instuctors when noting in the trainees driving logs about what the bigger bumps in the road were.
They actually do help in the field away from the lights of a town as well, so long as you haven't had your night vision compromised by someone with a flashlight.
Here in the USA we now have grooved pavement on the edge of some roads as its cheaper than paint and lasts longer. We call it braille driving since you can close your eyes while driving and know when there are turns in the road based on the vibrations and sound when the tires go over it.