Driver Performance and Workload Using a Night Vision System

Night vision systems (NVS) have the potential to improve the visibility of critical objects at night beyond the levels achievable with low-beam headlamps. This could be especially valuable for older drivers, who have difficulty seeing at night and who are sensitive to glare. However, this benefit may also be accompanied by ancillary costs, such as the additional workload involved with monitoring and interpreting the forward view depicted by the NVS. In this study, the authors asked young and old subjects to drive at night on a test track while they measured distance and accuracy of target detection, subjective workload, and longitudinal control of the vehicle. In some conditions, direct view of the road was supplemented by a far-infrared NVS with two display configurations: a head-up display mounted above the dashboard, and a head-down display mounted near the vehicle midline. Night vision systems increased target detection distance for both young and old drivers, with noticeably more benefit for younger drivers. Although workload measures did not differ between the unassisted visual detection task and the NVS-assisted tasks, they were greater when driving with a detection task than without.

• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/isbn/9780874141580
• Corporate Authors:

  University of Iowa, Iowa City

  Public Policy Center
  227 South Quadrangle
  Iowa City, IA  United States  52242-1192
• Authors:
  • Sullivan, John M
  • Bargman, Jonas
  • Adachi, Go
  • Schoettle, Brandon
• Conference:
  • Driving Assessment 2007: 4th International Driving Symposium on Human Factors in Driver Assessment, Training, and Vehicle Design
  • Location: Stevenson Washington, United States
  • Date: 2007-7-9 to 2007-7-12
• Publication Date: 2007

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: CD-ROM
• Features: Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: pp 519-526
• Monograph Title: Proceedings of the 4th International Driving Symposium on Human Factors in Driver Assessment, Training, and Vehicle Design, Stevenson, Washington, July 9-12, 2007

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Accuracy; Age; Aged drivers; Detection and identification; Distance; Drivers; Driving; Head up displays; Human subject testing; Infrared radiation; Longitudinal control; Night; Night visibility; Night vision; Night vision devices; Performance; Test tracks; Young adults
• Uncontrolled Terms: Driver workload; Head down displays
• Subject Areas: Highways; Safety and Human Factors; I83: Accidents and the Human Factor;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01055487
• Record Type: Publication
• ISBN: 9780874141580
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Aug 23 2007 1:01PM