Numerous statistical surveys leave no room for doubt that darkness and low visibility are significant factors in car accidents and fatalities, with incidents at a disproportionate rate to the amount of driving at night. Lighting technology has moved forward with HID and LED illumination, but that improved brightness could be compromised by drivers not using this developing technology to its full potential. Fear of dazzling other road users or even fatigue of controlling the light system would be a real barrier to the benefits possible. It is clear is that adaptive lighting technologies, which automate lighting control and allow maximum illumination and even predictively react to the changing road conditions, offer major benefits to road safety, accident and casualty reduction. This is particularly evident for reducing pedestrian casualties where the technology can detect risks that are impossible for the human eye to see. This paper concludes that adaptive lighting technologies, which automate lighting control and allow maximum illumination and even predictively react to the changing road conditions, offer major benefits to road safety, accident and casualty reduction. (Author/publisher)
Abstract