A field study was carried out in a car park to investigate how oncoming glare from halogen headlamps impaired drivers' detection of peripheral targets under two fixed street lighting sources, high pressure sodium and metal halide lamps. The participants (drivers) task was to detect a change in reflectance for one of two targets while fixated on a signboard at the end of the test track. The detection targets were located 15 or 23 degrees off-axis to the right when the subjects looked straight ahead. The halogen headlamps of the oncoming vehicle were switched either on or off. Participants were 22-39 years of age. Large individual differences in individuals' reaction times were observed. Reaction times under metal halide lamps were shorter than under high pressure sodium lamps. Reaction times for the inner target (15 degrees) were shorter than for the outer target (23 degrees). There was also a significant interaction between the target position and the glare condition. For the covering abstract see ITRD E123380.
Samenvatting