Statistically, driving at night is one of the most hazardous situations commonly faced by the driver, with the accident rate being higher at night. This report investigates the state of retinal adaptation under typical night-time conditions. Three adult subjects were used, seated at a dark adaptometer and instructed to look at a fixation target while being aware of a flashing test field. The findings suggested that the luminance of targets in the far periphery of the subject's visual field must be increased in comparison with foveal targets to assure visual detection. Retinal sensitivity increased as the size of target increased. However, retinal sensitivity and speed of recovery are decreased in the near periphery and this is important as most of the visual field used while driving is peripheral. (A)
Samenvatting