EFFECT OF VEHICULAR ROLL ON A POLARIZED HEADLIGHTING SYSTEM

EXPERIMENTAL RESEARCH EXPLORED THE EFFECT OF VEHICULAR ROLL ON DRIVER COMFORT AND PERFORMANCE OF A POLORIZED HEADLIGHTING SYSTEM. THIS SYSTEM RELIES ON THE PHENOMENON THAT TWO POLARIZERS WITH THEIR PLANES OF POLARIZATION PERPENDICULAR TO EACH OTHER PERMIT ONLY A NEGLIGIBLE AMOUNT OF LIGHT TO PASS THROUGH TO AN OBSERVER. AS THESE PLANES ROTATE AWAY FROM BEING PERPENDICULAR DUE TO VEHICULAR ROLL, AN INCREASING AMOUNT OF LIGHT LEAKAGE RESULTS. THIS LEAKAGE WAS SHOWN TO HAVE AN INSIGNIFICANT EFFECT ON THE ABILITY OF DRIVERS TO DETECT PAVEMENT MARKINGS AT NIGHT, THUS ADDING FURTHER SUPPORT TO THE USE OF A POLARIZED HEADLIGHTING SYSTEM. THE CONVENTIONAL HIGH-BEAM LIGHTING ALSO NOT SIGNIFICANTLY AFFECTED BY VEHICULAR ROLL. IN THE MEETING SITUATION THE DATA OBTAINED SHOWED THAT THE POLARIZED HEADLIGHTING SYSTEM IMPROVED TARGET DETECTION DISTANCES BY 32 PERCENT OVER THE HIGH-BEAM SYSTEM. THE SAME DATA WERE ALSO USED TO ANALYZE THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN LATERAL POSITION OF THE PAVEMENT MARKINGS (CENTERLINE OR SHOULDER) AND DETECTION DISTANCES. FINDINGS OF THIS ANALYSIS SUPPORT THE USE OF PAVEMENT EDGE MARKINGS AND MAYBE CONSIDERED AN ADDITIONAL BENEFIT OBTAINED AS A RESULT OF THE STUDY. /AUTHOR/

• Record URL:
  • http://onlinepubs.trb.org/Onlinepubs/hrr/1971/377/377-010.pdf
• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/isbn/0309019923
• Supplemental Notes:
  • Sponsored by Committee on Visibility. 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:
  • Adams, Walter S
• Publication Date: 1971

Media Info

• Media Type: Digital/other
• Features: Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: p. 118-130
• Monograph Title: Visibility
• Serial:
  • Highway Research Record
  • Issue Number: 377
  • Publisher: Highway Research Board

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Distance perception; Edge lines; Headlamps; Highway delineators; Highway design; Polarized light; Vehicle characteristics; Visibility
• Old TRIS Terms: Highway delineation; Perception distance
• Subject Areas: Highways; Safety and Human Factors;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00221663
• Record Type: Publication
• ISBN: 0309019923
• Report/Paper Numbers: HS-011 972
• Files: HSL, TRIS, TRB
• Created Date: May 22 1972 12:00AM