Rear-end crashes account for more than 29 percent of all crashes; these types of crashes often result from a failure to respond (or delays in responding) to a stopped or decelerating lead vehicle (NHTSA, 2007). The work described here is part of a larger pro-gram of research intended to develop and evaluate rear signal-ing applications designed to reduce the frequency and severity of rear-end crashes by redirecting drivers’ visual attention to the forward roadway (for cases involving a distracted driver), and/or increasing the saliency or meaningfulness of the brake signal (for attentive drivers).This study quantified the attention-getting capability and dis-comfort glare of a set of candidate rear brake lighting configu-rations, including proposed approaches from automotive com-panies, using driver judgments, as well as eye-drawing metrics. This study served to narrow the set of candidate lighting con-figurations to those that would most likely be carried forward for additional study on-road. This Vehicle Safety Research Note is a summary of the technical research report: Evaluation of Enhanced Brake Lights Using Sur-rogate Safety Metrics. Task 1 Report: Further Characterization and Development of Rear Brake Light Signals. Report No. DOT HS 811 127. Washington, DC: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. This report can be downloaded free of cost on the Vehicle Safety Research section of NHTSA’s Web site (http://www.nhtsa.gov). (Author/publisher)
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