Assessment of Headlamp Glare and Potential Countermeasures: The Effects of Headlamp Mounting Height

This project examined the effects of headlamp mounting height on the disability and the sensation of discomfort caused by glare. This was performed through a field study and a simulation study. In the field study, subjects evaluated the degree of glare from oncoming and following headlamps with different mounting heights and different intensity of headlamps. This field study provides data to suggest how headlamp mounting height affects discomfort glare. Additionally, to examine disability glare, two simulation analyses were also performed through calculations using existing models. One analyzed drivers’ reaction times to peripheral targets. The other analyzed detection distances to small targets located along the roadway. Both analyses treated headlamp mounting height as one of several independent variables. Overall, this project led to the conclusion that the mounting height of oncoming headlamps affects both disability glare and discomfort glare. A common tendency is that as the mounting height increases, glare is also increased. The increase in glare results in increased discomfort and reduction of visual performance (i.e., increased reaction times to detect objects and decreased detection distances).

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• Record URL:
  https://rosap.ntl.bts.gov/view/dot/16670
• Corporate Authors:

  Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

  Lighting Research Center, 21 Union Street
  Troy, NY  United States  12180

  National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

  1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
  Washington, DC  United States  20590
• Authors:
  • Akashi, Yukio
  • Van Derlofske, John
  • Raghavan, Ramesh
  • Bullough, John D
• Publication Date: 2008-6

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Print
• Features: Appendices; Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: 45p

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Countermeasures; Field studies; Glare; Headlamps; Reaction time; Visibility; Visibility distance
• Uncontrolled Terms: Detection distance; Headlamp mounting height
• Subject Areas: Highways; Safety and Human Factors; Vehicles and Equipment; I91: Vehicle Design and Safety;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01126414
• Record Type: Publication
• Report/Paper Numbers: HS-810 947
• Contract Numbers: DTNH22-99-D-07005
• Files: HSL, NTL, TRIS, USDOT
• Created Date: Apr 13 2009 2:59PM