LOCATION AND ROAD-FOCUS
A NEW TERM, "ROAD'FOCUS," HAS BEEN COINED TO DEFINE THE FOCAL POINT AT WHICH EYE STRAIN SO FREQUENTLY DEVELOPS, RESULTING IN CONFUSION AND LACK OF ALERTNESS ON THE PART OF THE DRIVER. AT THE LOWER SPEEDS THE EYES ARE RELAXED AND ABLE TO SEE OBJECTS WELL OFF THE SIDE OF THE HIGHWAY, AS WELL AS THE ROAD AHEAD. AS SPEED INCREASES, THIS RANGE OF FOCUS NARROWS UNTIL SIDE VIEW ENTIRELY DISAPPEARS. SUCH CONCENTRATION OF THE EYES RESULTS IN EYE STRAIN AND INCREASES THE LIKELIHOOD OF ACCIDENTS. THE AUTHOR HAS NOTED THAT ON LONG MONOTONOUS STRETCHES OF ROADS THE EYE STRAIN IS RELIEVED BY MEANS OF GROUP PLANTINGS, SUCH AS GROVES OF TREES IN BOTTLE-NECK FASHION, WHICH NARROW THE HORIZON AND GIVE THE EYE VERTICLE OBJECTS TO REST ON, THUS SOFTENING THE FOCUS. IN GENERAL, SUCH MEASURES HAVE THUS FAR BEEN CORRECTIVE, NOT PREVENTIVE. PROPER THOUGHT IN LOCATION CAN PREVENT EYE STRAIN BY MAKING THE ROAD BLEND INTO THE LANDSCAPE. LOCATION LINES CAN BE DIRECTED TOWARDS SUCH IMMOVABLE OBJECTS AS TREE GROVES OR CHURCH STEEPLES, AND THEN CURVED EASILY AROUND SUCH PROMINENT FEATURES. LOCATIONS OF THIS TYPE WILL BRING PROMINENT FEATURES OF THE LANDSCAPE DIRECTLY INTO THE LINE OF VISION OF THE DRIVER, MAKING IT UNNECESSARY TO TAKE HIS EYES FROM THE ROAD AHEAD. /AUTHOR/
- Record URL:
-
Supplemental Notes:
- Vol 19, pp 267-270, 5 FIG. Distribution, posting, or copying of this PDF is strictly prohibited without written permission of the Transportation Research Board of the National Academy of Sciences. Unless otherwise indicated, all materials in this PDF are copyrighted by the National Academy of Sciences. Copyright © National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved.
-
Authors:
- Gubbels, J L
- Publication Date: 1940
Media Info
- Media Type: Digital/other
- Monograph Title: Proceedings of the Nineteenth Annual Meeting of the Highway Research Board Held at Washington, D.C. December 5-8, 1939
-
Serial:
- Highway Research Board Proceedings
- Volume: 19
- Publisher: Highway Research Board
Subject/Index Terms
- TRT Terms: Drivers; Eye; Fatigue (Physiological condition); Highway design; Landscape design; Planting; Speed; Strain (Mechanics)
- Old TRIS Terms: Focus; Strains
- Subject Areas: Design; Environment; Highways; Safety and Human Factors;
Filing Info
- Accession Number: 00204832
- Record Type: Publication
- Files: TRIS, TRB
- Created Date: Oct 3 2000 12:00AM