VISIBLE DISTANCES IN NIGHT DRIVING OPPOSING MISALIGNED DIPPED HEADLIGHTS

TESTS WERE MADE TO DETERMINE HOW THE VISIBILITY DISTANCE OF DRIVERS MEETING ANOTHER CAR CHANGES WITH VERTICAL ADJUSTMENT OF THE HEADLIGHTS OF THE ONCOMING CAR. THE OPPOSING CAR WITH EASILY ADJUSTABLE HEADLIGHTS IN THE VERTICAL DIRECTION WAS STATIONARY. SUBJECTS DROVE THE OTHER CAR WITH CORRECTLY ADJUSTED HEADLIGHTS. THE HEADLIGHT ADJUSTMENT OF THE STATIONARY CAR WAS VARIED FROM 2 DEGREES TOO LOW TO 5 DEGREES TOO HIGH. THE RESULT WAS THAT, COMPARED TO CORRECTLY ADJUSTED MEETING LIGHTS, THE VISIBILITY DISTANCE WAS NOT INCREASED BY A DOWNWARD MISALIGNMENT OF OPPOSING HEADLIGHTS. ON THE OTHER HAND, AN UPWARD MISALIGNMENT OF 1-2 DEGREES OF OPPOSING HEADLIGHTS DECREASED THE NORMAL VISIBLE DISTANCE BY ABOUT 25%. /HSL/

• Authors:
  • Rumar, K
• Publication Date: 1968

Media Info

• Features: References;
• Pagination: p. 111-5
• Serial:
  • Zeitschrift Verkehrssichereit /Germany/
  • Volume: 14
  • Issue Number: 2

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Glare; Headlamps; Night visibility; Night vision; Sight distance
• Subject Areas: Highways; Safety and Human Factors;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00221830
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: Highway Safety Literature
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Jan 17 1973 12:00AM