The challenges to driving at night are much greater than during the day as many of the visual cues necessary for safe driving are harder to see. According to data in Traffic Safety Facts 2000, published by the National Traffic Safety Administration, fatal crash rates for nighttime driving are 3-4 times that for daytime driving. A high proportion of nighttime crashes are single vehicle, run-off-road crashes, suggesting that driver inability to recognize delineation, guidance, or warning information may be a contributing factor. To provide state and local agencies with information on verifiable improvements that can save lives and reduce the cost of crashes to society, the FHWA maintains an ongoing research program for improving the performance of retroflective signs and markings, assessing the potential impact of new vehicle headlight technologies, analyzing effectiveness of roadway lighting, and studying other aspects of human vision, visibility, and driver performance. This article describes this FHWA research program in some detail.
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