IMPROVEMENT OF VISABILITY FOR NIGHT DRIVING

VARIOUS HIGHWAY VISION TARGETS AND THE EFFECT OF VARIOUS ROADWAY LIGHTING CONFIGURATIONS ON DRIVER PERFORMANCE ARE SUMMARIZED IN THIS ARTICLE. IT APPEARS THAT A POLARIZED HEADLIGHTING SYSTEM IS THE MOST PROMISING SYSTEM LIKELY TO SOLVE NIGHT VISIBILITY PROBLEMS. THIS SYSTEM, TECHNICALLY AND ECONOMICALLY FEASIBLE ON TODAY'S VEHICLE POPULATION, OFFERS IMPROVED VISIBILITY WITH LESS GLARE FOR MOTORISTS. MOREOVER, USING THIS SYSTEM SHOULD RESULT IN INCREASED VEHICULAR CONTROL, SAFETY, AND COMFORT, AND PROBABLY IMPROVED TRAFFIC FLOW AT NIGHT. MANY ASPECTS OF THE CONVERSION AND USE OF POLARIZED HEADLAMPS REQUIRE FURTHER CONSIDERATION AND EVALUATION. TO OBTAIN RELIABLE MEASUREMENTS, THE TEST SHOULD BE CONDUCTED IN ISOLATION FROM TRAFFIC EQUIPPED WITH CONVENTIONAL HEADLIGHTS, FOR A SUFFICIENT PERIOD OF TIME. A TEST IS CURRENTLY BEING PLANNED ON AN ISLAND, WITH ACCESS FROM THE MAINLAND LIMITED TO CAR FERRY, OCEAN-GOING SHIPPING, AND AIR TRANSPORT. /AUTHOR/

• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/oclc/1586080
• Authors:
  • Schwab, R N
  • Hemion, R H
• Publication Date: 1972-2

Media Info

• Pagination: p. 257-67
• Serial:
  • Public Roads
  • Volume: 36
  • Issue Number: 12
  • Publisher: Federal Highway Administration
  • ISSN: 0033-3735
  • Serial URL: https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/publications/publicroads/
• Publication flags:

  Open Access (libre)

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Driver performance; Drivers; Headlamps; Highway safety; Night visibility; Personnel performance; Polarized light; Retroreflection; Visibility; Vision
• Old TRIS Terms: Driver vision; Retrodirective reflection
• Subject Areas: Highways; Safety and Human Factors;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00223878
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Sep 19 1972 12:00AM