THE GENERAL ELECTRIC CO. TESTS ON POLARIZED HEADLIGHTING

SEALED-BEAM LIGHTING AND POLARIZED HEADLIGHTING SYSTEMS ARE DESCRIBED. IF ALL CARS HAVE POLARIZED HEADLIGHTING OF THE TYPE DEVELOPED COOPERATIVELY BY THE AUTOMOTIVE INDUSTRY, THE POLAROID CORPORATION, AND THE GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY, THE CLEAR ROAD SEEING DISTANCE FROM THE ANALYZER, AND THE OBSERVER-DRIVER IS THE SAME AS THAT FOR THE SEALED-BEAM UPPER BEAM. A COMPREHENSIVE SERIES OF TESTS WERE MADE WITH SEALED-BEAM HEADLAMPS FACING SEALED-BEAM HEADLAMPS UNDER CONDITIONS OF PROPER AND IMPROPER USAGE. THESE TEST RESULTS LEAD TO A GENERAL CONCLUSION THAT THE RANGE OF SEEING DISTANCES ENCOUNTERED DURING THE PERIOD OF TRANSITION TO POLARIZED HEADLIGHTING WOULD BE NO GREATER THAN THE RANGE OF SEEING DISTANCE ENCOUNTERED DURING THE PRESENT PERIOD OF TRANSITION FROM PRE-SEALED BEAM TO SEALED BEAM HEADLIGHTING. THE DRIVER OF THE POLARIZED CAR WOULD ENJOY SOMEWHAT HIGHER SEEING DISTANCE EVEN DURING THE EARLY STAGES OF THE TRANSITION PERIOD. COMPULSORY LEGISLATION WOULD BE NECESSARY, SIMILAR TO THAT REQUIRING SAFETY GLASS.

• Record URL:
  http://onlinepubs.trb.org/Onlinepubs/hrbbulletin/11/11-003.pdf
• Supplemental Notes:
  • 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:
  • Roper, Val J
• Conference:
  • 27th Annual Conference of the Highway Research Board
  • Location: Washington District of Columbia, United States
  • Date: 1947-1-0 to 1947-1-0
• Publication Date: 1948-6

Media Info

• Media Type: Print
• Features: Figures;
• Pagination: pp 30-36
• Monograph Title: The Polarized Headlight System
• Serial:
  • Highway Research Board Bulletin
  • Issue Number: 11
  • Publisher: Highway Research Board

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Beams; Drivers; Glare; Headlamps; Laws; Polarized light; Testing; Visibility; Vision
• Old TRIS Terms: Driver vision; Sealed beam
• Subject Areas: Highways; Law; Safety and Human Factors;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00220262
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS, TRB, ATRI
• Created Date: Aug 19 1994 12:00AM