An Air Carrier pilot suggested that small runway identification numbers be painted on runways at entry points other than runway ends in order to prevent wrong runway takeoffs.

Narrative

Each airline; including mine; requires runway identification and confirmation before taking off. The problem is that we often takeoff on runways with displaced thresholds. I know that you can verify heading but you can't see the runway number. This was a contributing factor in a recent airplane accident. It couldn't take that much paint to paint the runway number in a place that could be seen by the pilots when in position for takeoff. We also often takeoff on parallel runways so a runway number would be final confirmation that we are on the proper runway. Day VFR may not pose too much of a problem; but night IFR with drizzling rain at an unfamiliar airport could. In ATL we often use Runway 9L M2 for takeoff. The runway number is behind the aircraft when in position for takeoff. This is my home airport so no problem; but for many pilots it is not a familiar airport; plus it has 5 parallel runways not counting taxiways. I think a small runway number painted in front of the aircraft on intersection takeoffs and displaced thresholds would add a margin of safety that do not have at this time.