Quantifying the Pedestrian Detection Benefits of the General Motors Night Vision System

This research compared driver detection performance with low-beam halogen headlamps supplemented by a General Motors production Night Vision system to low-beam halogen headlamps alone. This research was conducted with 18 participants between the ages of 40 and 70 years on a 3.2km (2-mile) section of closed road. Participants encountered seven scenarios, including crossing or standing pedestrians dressed in either white or black clothing. Additional scenarios included pedestrians in a curve and near an oncoming glare vehicle, as well a tire tread. Results indicated that the GM Night Vision system improved drivers' detection distances in nearly all pedestrian scenarios examined.