HEADLAMP PERFORMANCE FACTORS AFFECTING THE VISIBILITY OF OLDER DRIVERS IN NIGHT DRIVING

The first section of this paper presents the current state of the art of motor vehicle headlighting, covering the following topics: U.S. and European designs; aim and alignment; dirt, rain and fog as causes of reduced light; interaction with street lighting; future trends; glare disability; glare discomfort; glare from rearview mirrors; mounting height of headlamps; headlamp aim; headlamp washing and wiping; and factors other than those related to the design of the vehicle (e.g., reflective materials for traffic signs). In section two, changes to improve night-driving visibility are discussed. Areas where such changes appear to be warranted and feasible include aim and alignment of headlamps, the mounting height of headlamps, the reflectivity of rearview mirrors, the cleanliness of headlamps, and refinements to the meeting beam. Also discussed are environmental variables (their reflectivity) and how they affect visibility. The third and final section draws attention to research needs.

• Record URL:
  • https://onlinepubs.trb.org/Onlinepubs/sr/sr218/sr218v2-012.pdf
• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/isbn/0309046645
• Supplemental Notes:
  • This paper appears in Transportation Research Board Special Report No. 218, Transportation in an Aging Society: Improving Mobility and Safety for Older Persons, Volume 2 - Technical Papers. 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.
• Corporate Authors:

  Transportation Research Board

  500 Fifth Street, NW
  Washington, DC  United States  20001
• Authors:
  • Mortimer, Rudolf G
• Publication Date: 1988

Media Info

• Media Type: Digital/other
• Features: Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: pp 379-403
• Serial:
  • Transportation Research Board Special Report
  • Issue Number: 218
  • Publisher: Transportation Research Board
  • ISSN: 0360-859X

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Aged drivers; Alignment; Cleaning; Design; Environment; Fog; Future; Glare; Headlamps; Height; Night visibility; Rainfall; Rearview mirrors; Reflectivity; Research; Soils; Statistical trends; Street lighting
• Uncontrolled Terms: Dirt; Future research
• Old TRIS Terms: Aim; Mounting
• Subject Areas: Design; Geotechnology; Highways; Maintenance and Preservation; Planning and Forecasting; Research; Safety and Human Factors; Vehicles and Equipment; I72: Traffic and Transport Planning; I83: Accidents and the Human Factor; I91: Vehicle Design and Safety;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00489621
• Record Type: Publication
• ISBN: 0-309-04664-5
• Files: TRIS, TRB, ATRI
• Created Date: Nov 30 1989 12:00AM