IMPROVEMENT OF VISIBILITY FOR NIGHT DRIVING, WITH DISCUSSION AND CLOSURE

THE RESEARCH DOCUMENTED IN THIS REPORT CONFIRMS THAT AT NIGHT ON RURAL HIGHWAYS MOST MOTORISTS OVERDRIVE THEIR HEADLIGHTS. STUDIES CONDUCTED TO DETERMINE VISIBILITY OF VARIOUS HIGHWAY VISION TARGETS AND THE EFFECT OF VARIOUS LIGHTING CONFIGURATION ON DRIVER PERFORMANCE ARE SUMMARIZED. MEANS BY WHICH NIGHT VISIBILITY MAY BE IMPROVED ARE DISCUSSED. IT IS CONCLUDED THAT (A) A POLARIZED HEADLIGHTING SYSTEM IS THE MOST PROMISING SYSTEM LIKELY TO SOLVE THE NIGHT VISIBILITY PROBLEM; (B) THE SYSTEM IS TECHNICALLY AND ECONOMICALLY FEASIBLE IN REGARD TO TODAY'S VEHICLE POPULATION; (C) THE SYSTEM WOULD BE ADVANTAGEOUS IN TERMS OF IMPROVED VISIBILITY WITH LESS GLARE FOR MOTORISTS; AND (D) THE RESULTS OF THE USE OF SUCH A SYSTEM WOULD BE INCREASED VEHICULAR CONTROL, SAFETY, AND COMFORT AND PROBABLY IMPROVED TRAFFIC FLOW AND UTILIZATION OF HIGHWAYS AT NIGHT. A PUBLIC TEST AND EVALUATION OF POLARIZATION IN AN ISOLATED LOCATION IS RECOMMENDED PRIOR TO NATIONWIDE IMPLEMENTATION TO DETERMINE MORE PRECISELY THE BENEFITS, SIDE EFFECTS, AND OPERATIONAL PROBLEMS. /AUTHOR/

• Record URL:
  • http://onlinepubs.trb.org/Onlinepubs/hrr/1971/377/377-001.pdf
• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/isbn/0309019923
• Supplemental Notes:
  • Sponsored by Committee on Visibility and presented at the 50th Annual Meeting. Distribution, posting, or copying of this PDF is strictly prohibited without written permission of the Transportation Research Board of the National Academy of Sciences. Unless otherwise indicated, all materials in this PDF are copyrighted by the National Academy of Sciences. Copyright © National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved.
• Authors:
  • Schwab, Richard N
  • Hemion, Roger H
• Discussers:
  • Allen, Merrill J
  • Oyler, R W
• Publication Date: 1971

Media Info

• Media Type: Digital/other
• Features: Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: p. 1-23
• Monograph Title: Visibility
• Serial:
  • Highway Research Record
  • Issue Number: 377
  • Publisher: Highway Research Board

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Driver performance; Drivers; Glare; Headlamps; Night visibility; Personnel performance; Polarized light; Vehicle safety; Visibility
• Old TRIS Terms: Vehicular safety
• Subject Areas: Highways; Safety and Human Factors;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00221654
• Record Type: Publication
• ISBN: 0309019923
• Report/Paper Numbers: HS-011 999
• Files: TRIS, TRB
• Created Date: May 22 1989 12:00AM