VEHICLE CONSPICUITY AT NIGHT

This paper examines the relative rate of occurrence of accidents by night and by day and then examines in depth certain accident types which exhibit an above-average proportion in the dark/night period. The Victoria Road User Movement (RUM) classification is used for defining the accident types for detailed examination. The accident types exhibiting above-average proportions in the dark are head-on, rear-end and running off road. The trends in certain accident types over several years are examined as is the distribution around the State (i.e. metropolitan, towns, rural). The rear-end accident type is shown to be pre-dominantly a metropolitan problem and its distribution by road type is studied for the metropolitan area. The involvement of particular vehicle classes is also studied in relation to the certain accident types. Of all reported accidents 42 percent occur in the dark but there is an apparent problem with rear-end accidents. In 1971, 53.5 percent of (5144) rear-end accidents, involving two motor "moving"rear-end accidents and 30 percent were percent were "moving" rear-end accidents and 30 percent were "parked". The night rear-end accident is largely peculiar to the metropolitan area, the "moving" rear-end being a characteristic of arterial roads whereas the "parked" rear-end has significant occurrence on residential streets. Related work is reviewed and solutions proposed to increase the conspicuity of vehicles at night.

• Record URL:
  http://arrbknowledge.com
• Supplemental Notes:
  • Proceedings of the Eighth Conference, August 23-27, 1976, held at the University of Western Australia.
• Corporate Authors:

  ARRB

  Melbourne, Victoria  Australia 
• Authors:
  • Andreassend, D C
• Conference:
  • Australian Road Research Board Conference Proc
• Publication Date: 1976-8

Media Info

• Features: Appendices; Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: p. 26-52
• Serial:
  • Volume: 8
  • Issue Number: 8

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Crash rates; Crash types; Frontal crashes; Metropolitan areas; Night; Ran off road crashes; Rear end crashes; Vehicle classification
• Subject Areas: Highways; Safety and Human Factors;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00148441
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Mar 30 1977 12:00AM