STUDIES OF AUTOMOBILE AND TRUCK REAR LIGHTING AND SIGNALING SYSTEMS

The findings of these studies of accident data, laboratory, driver simulator, and driving tests suggest that: 1) The basic signals now presented by vehicle rear marking and signaling systems should be retained, consisting of turn, stop , and hazard warning signals. 2) Evidence from this study indicates that four presence lamps, mounted in a rectangular array (Mortimer, 1970) should be used to provide improved sensitivity of following-car drivers to changes in headway. However, tests of one such configuration found it to be relatively poor in detection of stop + turn signals. Further tests, aiming to upgrade signal presentation performance, are indicated. 3) A stopped/slow-moving vehicle display should form part of a velocity signal, coded in a few (e.g., three) categories by the illumination of various numbers of lamps. While other types of signals are frequently misidentified as stopped/slow-moving, these errors are not potentially dangerous. 4) The basic concept of an integrated vehicle rear lighting and signaling system such as that defined in conclusions 2 and 3 may be similar to that proposed earlier (Mortimer, 1971). The overall effectiveness of such a display should be evaluated. 5) The marking of parked vehicles and the effectiveness of current standards of vehicle retroreflectors requires further evaluation.

• Supplemental Notes:
  • Sponsored by Motor Vehicle Manufacturers Association, Incorporated.
• Corporate Authors:

  Highway Safety Research Institute

  Huron Parkway and Baxter Road
  Ann Arbor, MI  United States  48109
• Authors:
  • Mortimer, R G
  • Hoffmann, E R
  • Poskocil, A
  • Jorgeson, C M
  • Olson, P L
  • Moore, C D
• Publication Date: 1974-11

Media Info

• Features: Figures; Photos; References; Tables;
• Pagination: 221 p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Automobiles; Instrument panel indicators; Motor vehicles; Rear lighting; Trucks; Warning devices; Warning signals
• Old TRIS Terms: Rear lights
• Subject Areas: Highways; Motor Carriers; Safety and Human Factors;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00132193
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: Highway Safety Research Institute
• Report/Paper Numbers: UM-HSRI-HF-74-25 Final Rpt.
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Nov 23 1977 12:00AM