AUTOMOBILE REAR SIGNAL RESEARCH I: EFFECTS OF SIGNAL COLOUR AND INTENSITY, AMBIENT ILLUMINATION, RUNNING LIGHTS AND DRIVER AGE ON LABORATORY PERFORMANCE

The experiment investigated the ability of subjects to perceive automobile rear-signal information. Thirty subjects, in two age groups, were instructed to respond as quickly and accurately as possible to different combinations of lights presented on the rear of a model automobile. The combinations simulated normal as well as malfunction signal conditions. Turn signals, which were either red or amber, were presented at one of two light intensities, each corresponding to intensities currently required on the road. Selected stimuli were viewed separately against two extreme conditions of ambient illumination. In addition, brake lights were alternately combined with low-intensity presence lights under one lens. Results indicated that neither the colour nor the intensity of turn signals affected the performance of either group of subjects. The performance of the older subjects, though routinely worse than the younger group was never significantly so, owing to large inter-subject variability. Performance in the ambient illumination condition in which the light-to-background contrast was markedly reduced was significantly worse than performance in the high contrast condition. Results are discussed in terms of the potential benefits of colour and intensity as redundant methods of coding information. /HSRI/

• Corporate Authors:

  Transport Canada

  Road Safety Division, Tower C, Place de Ville
  Ottawa, ONo KIA 0N5,   Canada 

  Defence and Civil Institute of Environmental Medicine, Downsview

  Ontario,   Canada 
• Authors:
  • ATTWOOD, D A
• Publication Date: 1977-4

Media Info

• Features: Figures; Photos; References; Tables;
• Pagination: 49 p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Age; Brake lamps; Color; Driver performance; Drivers; Personnel performance; Reaction time; Rear lighting; Simulation; Vehicle lighting
• Uncontrolled Terms: Driver age; Driver reaction; Intensity
• Old TRIS Terms: Braking lights; Rear signals; Running lights
• Subject Areas: Highways; Safety and Human Factors;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00178249
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: Highway Safety Research Institute
• Report/Paper Numbers: Tech Memo RSU 77/3
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Aug 19 1978 12:00AM