Enhanced Night Visibility Series, Volume VI: Phase II―Study 4: Visual Performance During Nighttime Driving in Fog

Phase II—Study 4 was part of the Enhanced Night Visibility project, a larger research effort investigating drivers’ visual performance during nighttime driving. Study 4 helped expand the knowledge of how current vision enhancement systems can affect detection and recognition of different types of objects during adverse weather, specifically for fog conditions. Thirty participants were involved in the study. A 6 by 3 mixed factorial design was used to investigate the effects of different types of vision enhancement systems and driver’s age on detection and recognition of a pedestrian on the roadway. Subjective evaluations also were obtained for the different vision enhancement systems. The analysis based on objective and subjective results revealed that the infrared thermal imaging system is the best configuration for detecting pedestrians in fog conditions. Halogen headlamps supplemented with ultraviolet A (UV–A) was a better configuration for detecting pedestrians than the halogen and high intensity discharge (HID) headlamps alone; however, the UV–A technology does not represent a dramatic improvement over the halogen and HID headlamps used in this research.

• Record URL:
  http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/publications/research/safety/humanfac/04137/index.cfm
• Record URL:
  http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/publications/research/safety/humanfac/04137/04137.pdf
• 
• Corporate Authors:

  Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg

  Virginia Tech Transportation Institute
  3500 Transportation Research Plaza
  Blacksburg, VA  United States  24061

  Federal Highway Administration

  Office of Safety Research and Development
  6300 Georgetown Pike
  McLean, VA  United States  22101-2296
• Authors:
  • Blanco, Myra
  • Hankey, Jonathan M
• Publication Date: 2005-12

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Web
• Edition: Final Report
• Features: Appendices; Figures; Photos; References; Tables;
• Pagination: 111p

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Age; Drivers; Fog; Headlamps; Human subject testing; Night visibility; Pedestrians; Thermographs; Ultraviolet light
• Uncontrolled Terms: Halogen lamps; High intensity discharge headlamps; Subjective evaluations; Vision enhancement systems
• Subject Areas: Highways; Pedestrians and Bicyclists; Safety and Human Factors; Vehicles and Equipment; I83: Accidents and the Human Factor; I91: Vehicle Design and Safety;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01043980
• Record Type: Publication
• Report/Paper Numbers: FHWA-HRT-04-137
• Contract Numbers: DTFH61-98-C-00049
• Files: TRIS, USDOT
• Created Date: Mar 13 2007 12:39PM