ACTUAL PEDESTRIAN VISIBILITY AND THE PEDESTRIAN'S ESTIMATE OF HIS OWN VISIBILITY

OVER 1,700 OBSERVATIONS WERE MADE ON THE ROAD INVOLVING ACTUAL PEDESTRIANS AND CARS, TO TEST THREE FACTORS OF PEDESTRIAN VISIBILITY. OF 26 PEDESTRIAN OBSERVERS, AGES 18-35, THE ONE PEDESTRIAN MOST PESSIMISTIC ABOUT HIS VISIBILITY CLOSELY ESTIMATED HIS TRUE VISIBILITY OF 175 FEET. EACH OF THE REMAINING 25 PEDESTRIANS ESTIMATED HIS VISIBILITY TO BE UP TO THREE TIMES FARTHER THAN IT ACTUALLY WAS. THE AVERAGE PEDESTRIAN THOUGHT HE WAS VISIBLE AT 343 FEET. ACTUAL PEDESTRIAN VISIBILITY WAS ENHANCED FROM ABOUT 175 FEET FOR NORMAL DARK CLOTHING TO ABOUT 790 FEET BY USING REFLECTORIZED CLOTHING. IN THE PRESENCE OF HEADLIGHT GLARE, BLACK CLOTHING WAS SEEN AT ABOUT 167 FEET WHILE THE REFLECTORIZED CLOTHING WAS SEEN AT 680 FEET. THE CLOTHING WAS REFLECTORIZED WITH A 1 INCH FABRIC TAPE OUTLINING THE COLLAR AND WRAPPED AROUND THE SLEEVES. THE REFLECTANCE OF THE TAPE WAS 50 CANDLES/SQ. FT./FT. CANDLE OF INCIDENT LIGHT. /HSL/

• Supplemental Notes:
  • Vol 47, No 1, PP 44-49, 8 REF
• Corporate Authors:

  American Academy of Optometry

  6110 Executive Boulevard
  Rockville, MD  United States  29852
• Authors:
  • Allen, M J
  • Hazlett, R D
  • Tacker, H L
  • Graham, B V
• Publication Date: 1970-1

Media Info

• Features: References;
• Pagination: p. 44-49
• Serial:
  • American Journal of Optometry & Archives
  • Volume: 47
  • Issue Number: 1
  • Publisher: American Academy of Optometry

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Night visibility; Pedestrians; Reflectorized materials; Visibility
• Old TRIS Terms: Reflectorization
• Subject Areas: Highways; Pedestrians and Bicyclists; Safety and Human Factors;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00223565
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: Highway Safety Literature
• Report/Paper Numbers: HS-008 986
• Files: HSL, TRIS
• Created Date: Aug 29 1983 12:00AM