REFLECTORIZED REGISTRATION PLATES AND ALTERNATIVE MEANS

THE USE OF CHARACTER TYPE D DESIGNED BY THE AMERICAN BUREAU OF PUBLIC ROADS ON THE PRESENT TYPE OF REGISTRATION PLATES IN THE NETHERLANDS, GIVES 25% GREATER LEGIBILITY DISTANCE AFTER DARK THAN THE PRESENT TYPE. IF THIS TYPE D WERE TO BE USED, TOGETHER WITH THE INTERNATIONALLY RECOMMENDED TYPE FACE HEIGHT, ON REGISTRATION PLATES WITH THE INTERNATIONALLY RECOMMENDED DIMENSIONS, LEGIBILITY DISTANCE WOULD INCREASE BY A TOTAL OF 35%. THE VISIBILITY DISTANCE OF WHITE REFLECTORIZED REGISTRATION PLATES WHEN ILLUMINATED AT NIGHT IS FIVE TO SIX TIMES THAT OF WHITE ENAMELLED PLATES. THE FUNCTION OF REFLECTORIZED REGISTRATION PLATES IN ROAD SAFETY LIES PRIMARILY IN THE INCREASED VISIBILITY OF MOTOR VEHICLES WHOSE (REAR) LAMPS ARE NOT LIGHTED. REFLECTORIZED REGISTRATION PLATES AND THE ALTERNATIVE FORMS OF REFLECTORIZED MATERIAL APPLIED TO THE REAR OF MOTOR VEHICLES ARE LIKELY TO REDUCE THE RISK OF HEAD-TAIL COLLISIONS BETWEEN MOVING VEHICLES AS WELL. AS TO INCREASING THE VISIBILITY OF MOTOR VEHICLES, ALTERNATIVE FORMS OF REFLECTORIZED MATERIAL MAY BE EQUAL TO REFLECTORIZED REGISTRATION PLATES. FOR DETECTING AND ESTIMATING A DIFFERENCE IN SPEED COMPARED WITH A CAR AHEAD (WITH ONLY ONE REAR LAMP LIGHTED), ALTERNATIVE MEANS INDICATING THE WIDTH OF THE VEHICLE ARE LIKELY TO BE MORE EFFECTIVE. UNCERTAINTY ABOUT MOVEMENT CHARACTERISTICS (ESPECIALLY SPEED), AND ABOUT DIMENSIONS OF A VEHICLE AHEAD, CAN BE REDUCED BY MEANS OF INFORMATION ABOUT THE CATEGORY TO WHICH THE VEHICLE BELONGS. THE USE OF REFLECTORIZED REGISTRATION PLATES AND ALTERNATIVE FORMS OF REFLECTORIZED MATERIAL ON THE FRONT OF VEHICLES WILL NOT NOTABLY INCREASE THEIR RECOGNIZABILITY AS TWO OR FOUR-WHEELED (IF ONE OF THE LOW-BEAM HEADLIGHTS IS NOT BURNING). THERE WILL THUS BE NO APPRECIABLE DECREASE IN THE RISK OF HEAD-ON COLLISIONS. FOR VISIBLE DISTINCTION AFTER DARK BETWEEN MOTOR CYCLES AND SCOOTERS ON THE ONE HAND AND MOPEDS AND CYCLES ON THE OTHER, PERHAPS THE ONLY POSSIBILITY IS A DIFFERENCE IN HEADLAMP COLOUR (WHITE AND YELLOW). /SWOV/

• Supplemental Notes:
  • Rept 1970-2, 62 PP, FIGS, TABS, PHOTS, REFS
• Corporate Authors:

  Institute for Road Safety Research, SWOV

  Bezuidenhoutseweg 62
  The Hague,   Netherlands  2594 AW
• Publication Date: 1970

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Color; Headlamps; Legibility; License plates; Motor vehicles; Prevention; Rear end crashes; Reflectorized materials; Registrations; Safety; Visibility
• Old TRIS Terms: Reflectorization
• Subject Areas: Highways; Safety and Human Factors; Security and Emergencies;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00220986
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Aug 26 1970 12:00AM