INTERACTION BETWEEN FIXED AND VEHICULAR ILLUMINATION SYSTEMS

THIS RESEARCH EFFORT EXPLORES CHANGES IN ILLUMINATION CONDITIONS AS A FUNCTION OF VISION-DEPENDENT TASKS: DRIVER CONTROL, TARGET DETECTION, AND PSYCHOPHYSICAL JUDGEMENTS. DRIVERS' RESPONSES TO A ROADWAY OBSTACLE ALMOST ALWAYS IMPROVE IN THE PRESENCE OF INCREASED ILLUMINATION, BECOMING ASYMPTOTIC BETWEEN 0.4 AND 2.5 FOOTCANDLES. THE EFFECT OF COARSER UNIFORMITIES IS ALWAYS A DECREASE IN TARGET DETECTION PERFORMANCE. LEFT-TURNING DRIVERS AND PEDESTRIANS UTILIZE AVAILABLE LIGHTING TO MAXIMIZE SAFETY, WITH PERFORMANCE BECOMING ASYMPTOTIC AT ABOUT 1.0 FOOTCANDLE. GAP-ACCEPTANCE PERFORMANCE VARIABILITY INCREASES WITH ILLUMINATION. PARKING LIGHTS RESULT IN AN OVERESTIMATION OF SEPARATION DISTANCE IN THE INTERSECTION CROSSING SITUATION. THE SAFEST AND LEAST VARIABLE SEPARATION DISTANCE ESTIMATES WERE AT ABOUT 1.0 FOOTCANDLE AMBIENT, WITH LOW BEAMS ON THE APPROACHING VEHICLE. /ARTICLE/

• Authors:
  • Gallagher, V P
  • Janoff, M S
  • Farber, E
• Publication Date: 1973-6

Media Info

• Pagination: p. 24
• Serial:
  • Lighting Design and Application
  • Volume: 3
  • Issue Number: 6
  • Publisher: Illuminating Engineering Society

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Behavior; Crosswalks; Daytime running lamps; Distance; Drivers; Gap acceptance; Headlamps; Left turns; Lighting; Luminous intensity; Roadside structures; Single vehicle crashes; Street lighting; Vision
• Uncontrolled Terms: Fixed object
• Old TRIS Terms: Driver vision; Parking lights
• Subject Areas: Highways; Safety and Human Factors;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00222235
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Jul 17 1973 12:00AM