This content is not included in
your SAE MOBILUS subscription, or you are not logged in.
Does the Interaction between Vehicle Headlamps and Roadway Lighting Affect Visibility? A Study of Pedestrian and Object Contrast
Technical Paper
2020-01-0569
ISSN: 0148-7191, e-ISSN: 2688-3627
Annotation ability available
Sector:
Language:
English
Abstract
Vehicle headlamps and roadway lighting are the major sources of illumination at night. These sources affect contrast - defined as the luminance difference of an object from its background - which drives visibility at night. However, the combined effect of vehicle headlamps and intersection lighting on object contrast has not been reported previously. In this study, the interactive effects of vehicle headlamps and overhead lighting on object contrast were explored based on earlier work that examined drivers’ visibility under three intersection lighting designs (illuminated approach, illuminated box, and illuminated approach + box). The goals of this study were to: 1) quantify object luminance and contrast as a function of a vehicle’s headlamps and its distance to an intersection using the three lighting designs; and, 2) to assess whether contrast influences visual performance and perceived visibility in a highly dynamic intersection environment. Both luminance and contrast of roadway visibility targets and a pedestrian were measured with a calibrated photometer at a realistic intersection. Both target and pedestrian contrast and luminance were substantially affected by the intersection lighting configuration, illuminance level, location at the intersection, and vehicle distance from the intersection. Objects also underwent changes in contrast polarity (positive to negative or vice-versa) as the distance between the vehicle and object changed. During these polarity transitions, objects became invisible because the contrast was zero. Negative contrast on targets was associated with higher visual performance. Within a given contrast polarity (positive vs. negative), visual performance depended on the magnitude of contrast, with higher contrast associated with higher visual performance. The relationship between pedestrian contrast and perceived visibility was complex, since pedestrians were often rendered in multiple contrasts. These findings have important implications for the lighting design of intersections and the development of nighttime pedestrian detection systems that rely on computer vision
Recommended Content
Technical Paper | Nighttime Visibility in Varying Moonlight Conditions |
Technical Paper | Investigation on Safety Improvements by Lighting for Pedestrians and Cyclists |
Technical Paper | Discomfort and Disability Glare from Halogen and HID Headlamp Systems |
Authors
Topic
Citation
Bhagavathula, R., Gibbons, R., and Nussbaum, M., "Does the Interaction between Vehicle Headlamps and Roadway Lighting Affect Visibility? A Study of Pedestrian and Object Contrast," SAE Technical Paper 2020-01-0569, 2020, https://doi.org/10.4271/2020-01-0569.Also In
References
- Bullough , J. and Rea , M. Visual Performance under Mesopic Conditions: Consequences for Roadway Lighting Transportation Research Record: Journal of the Transportation Research Board 1862 1 89 94 2004
- Plainis , S. , Murray , I.J. , and Charman , W.N. The Role of Retinal Adaptation in Night Driving Optometry & Vision Science 82 8 682 688 2005
- Várady , G. and Bodrogi , P. Mesopic Spectral Sensitivity Functions Based on Visibility and Recognition Contrast Thresholds Ophthalmic and Physiological Optics 26 3 246 253 2006
- Eloholma , M. et al. Visual Performance in Night-Time Driving Conditions Ophthalmic and Physiological Optics 26 3 254 263 2006
- Lewis , A.L. Visual Performance as a Function of Spectral Power Stribution of Light Sources at Luminances Used for Genreal Outdoor Lighting Journal of the Illuminating Engineering Society 28 1 27 32 1999
- Gibbons , R.B. et al. 2015
- Lingard , R. and Rea , M. Off-Axis Detection at Mesopic Light Levels in a Driving Context Journal of the Illuminating Engineering Society 31 1 33 39 2002
- Alferdinck , J.W. Target Detection and Driving Behaviour Measurements in a Driving Simulator at Mesopic Light Levels Ophthalmic and Physiological Optics 26 3 264 280 2006
- Akashi , Y. and Rea , M. Peripheral Detection while Driving under a Mesopic Light Level Journal of the Illuminating Engineering Society 31 1 85 94 2002
- Aulhorn , E. Über die Beziehung zwischen Lichtsinn und Sehschärfe Albrecht von Graefes Archiv für Ophthalmologie 167 1 4 74 1964
- Adrian , W. Visibility of Targets: Model for Calculation Lighting Research and Technology 21 4 181 188 1989
- Hills , B.L. Visibility under Night Driving Conditions: Part 2. Field Measurements Using Disc Obstacles and a Pedestrian Dummy Lighting Research and Technology 7 4 251 258 1975
- Janoff , M. Subjective Ratings of Visibility and Alternative Measures of Roadway Lighting Journal of the Illuminating Engineering Society 18 1 16 28 1989
- Ekrias , A. , Eloholma , M. , and Halonen , L. Effects of Vehicle Headlights on Target Contrast in Road Lighting Environments Journal of Light & Visual Environment 32 3 302 314 2008
- Bhagavathula , R. , Gibbons , R.B. , and Nussbaum , M.A. Effects of Intersection Lighting Design on Nighttime Visual Performance of Drivers LEUKOS 14 1 25 43 2018
- Bhagavathula , R. , Gibbons , R. , and Nussbaum , M.A. Effect of Intersection Lighting Design on Drivers’ Perceived Visibility and Glare Transportation Research Record 2673 2 799 810 2019
- Pretto , P. and Chatziastros , A. Changes in Optic Flow and Scene Contrast Affect the Driving Speed Driving Simulation Conference Europe 2006
- Gibbons , R.B. , et al. 2008
- IES 2014
- Wördenweber , B. et al. Automotive Lighting and Human Vision Springer 2007
- Terry , T.N. and Gibbons , R.B. Road-Surface Contrast and Adaptation of Visibility of Low-Contrast Targets Transportation Research Board 94th Annual Meeting 2015
- Boyce , P.R. Lighting for Driving Roads, Vehicles, Signs, and Signals Boca Raton, FL CRC Press 2009
- Green , M. Forensic Vision; with Applications to Highway Safety Third 32 Portland, OR Ringgold Inc. 2008