AUTOMOBILE STOPPING DISTANCES FOR JUDGING HEADLIGHT PERFORMANCE

ESTIMATION OF STOPPING DISTANCES VERSUS INITIAL VELOCITY WHILE DRIVING AT NIGHT, WITH OR WITHOUT THE OPPOSING GLARE OF A CAR APPROACHING IN THE LEFT LANE COMBINED WITH WET OR DRY PAVEMENT CONDITIONS IS DISCUSSED. RECOMMENDATION IS MADE REGARDING CHOICE OF MAXIMUM SPEED. GENERAL CONSIDERATIONS ON THE SUBJECT ARE REVIEWED. THE FRICTION FACTOR IS DEFINED (MATHEMATICALLY) AND DISCUSSED. THE PERCEPTION PLUS BRAKE REACTION TIME (T) IS DISCUSSED IN DETAIL. TOTAL STOPPING DISTANCES HAVE BEEN CALCULATED AND TABULATED FOR VALUES OF T = 1.0 SECONDS AND 2.5 SECONDS. GRAPHS ILLUSTRATE THE MINIMUM STOPPING DISTANCES VERSUS INITIAL SPEED TO BE EXPECTED OF MOST CARS AND DRIVERS IN MOST DRIVING SITUATIONS. THESE FIGURES HOLD FOR FOUR NIGHT DRIVING SITUATIONS.

• Supplemental Notes:
  • Rept No LTR-ST 595
• Corporate Authors:

  Nairobi University /Kenya

  ,    
• Authors:
  • Campbell, W F
• Publication Date: 1973-2-15

Media Info

• Features: Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: 10 p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Automobiles; Braking; Calculation; Friction factor; Glare; Graphics; Headlamps; Moisture content; Performance; Reaction time; Safety; Stopping distances
• Uncontrolled Terms: Computation; Graphical analysis; Wet conditions
• Subject Areas: Highways; Safety and Human Factors;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00224462
• Record Type: Publication
• Report/Paper Numbers: Tech Rpt
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Jun 5 1974 12:00AM