Some inventions are such a familiar part of our everyday lives that we might never stop to think about where they came from or who invented them. Dr. Elbert Dysart Botts was a hero of the modern era. He was an engineer who worked at a division of California’s Highway Transportation Agency later called Caltrans. To improve safety for drivers and highway workers, he and his team developed the markers now known as Botts Dots. These little round markers, laid out in rows, make it easier for drivers to stay within their lanes, especially when it's dark or rainy, or if a driver is sleepy or distracted. This is the story of Dr. Botts and his dots.