Posted on 01/21/2007 3:50:16 PM PST by neverdem
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, NY, receives a 2-year, $890,012 grant to study how headlight glare may increase driver discomfort and diminish visibility.
RPI’s Lighting Research Center scientists will examine the effects of headlight glare and propose solutions to minimize glare that affects the eyesight of oncoming motorists.
“Recent headlamp technologies are presenting new oncoming appearances for drivers, which have resulted in increased complaints of glare” to the National Highway Traffic Safety Admin., says Mark Rea, LRC director.
“The LRC is conducting research to examine the intensity, color and size of oncoming headlamps and determine the effects of these parameters on visibility, as well as impressions of visual discomfort.”
Rea says a driver’s visibility may be diminished by glare without noticeable discomfort. LRC researchers say there are unanswered questions relating to how new lighting technologies affect visibility, glare, driver behavior and safety.
LRC will report its findings to the U.S. Congress as required by the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient, Transportation Equity Act of 2005. Westat Inc. will administer the LRC grant.
Rensselaer lays claim to being the country’s oldest technological university, and its LRC says it is the nation’s leading university-based lighting research center.
© 2007 Prism Business Media
Nobody should have to wear anykind of special anything, these new blue light are outright dangerous, I have talked to many people that have complaints about these lights both young and old, they need to be outlawed period.
The High Intensity Discharge (HID, aka, xenon lights should be banned.
It is up to the NHTSA to do something about it. Looking at their web site, http://www.nhtsa.gov/ it appears that they only want to study the problem.
By the way, you can leave a comment about these lights here - https://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/email.cfm
Huh?
Thanks for the link! I’ll direct my health & science list to it later.
This problem was over and done with maybe fifty years ago. Then these new kinds of headlights were allowed even without consulting the standards and here we are again.
http://www.laramyk.com/learn/night_driving.html
“Yellow ‘Night Driving’ lenses have been shown to provide no benefit in seeing ability at night. They are even hazardous, because they give the driver a feeling of seeing better, which no one has yet been able to explain. Studies have shown that they actually impair visual performance and retard glare recovery. Many promoters have made unfounded claims for the ability of amber to improve night vision. They have employed mass solicitation, usually by mail. The Federal Trade Commission has correctly ruled that such practices are illegal since the lenses do not perform as claimed.” - Forensic Aspects of Vision and Highway Safety”, Merrill J. Allen, O.D., Ph.D., Et al.
Thanks for the tip. Someone told me that 40 years ago. I still am blessed with excellent night vision and have not needed them. Remind me again someday, its the memory thats going.
Guess I’ll have to decide whether to believe you and him or my own lying eyes. I’ve thought about it. The eyes have it.
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