CAR AND TRUCK REAR LIGHTING AND SIGNALLING: THE APPLICATION OF RESEARCH FINDINGS

REAR LIGHTING AND SIGNALLING SYSTEMS CAN BE IMPROVED BY FUNCTIONAL SEPARATION OF LAMPS AND COLOUR CODING. THESE TECHNIQUES WILL ALSO IMPROVE SYSTEM INTEGRITY WHEN THERE IS A MALFUNCTION, SUCH AS A BULB FAILURE. INTENSITY REQUIREMENTS FOR SIGNAL LAMPS DIFFERING IN COLOUR AND AREA ARE DERIVED FROM SUBJECTIVE TESTS BY DAY AND NIGHT. THE FINDINGS CONFIRM THE NEED FOR GREATER INTENSITIES IN DAY LIGHT AND AT NIGHT, AND THAT LAMP AREA SHOULD BE CONSIDERED. TRUCK REAR- END COLLISION DATA SHOW THE NEED TO AID THE DRIVER IN DETECTING CHANGES IN HEADWAY AND RELATIVE SPEED. THEORETICAL AND EXPERIMENTAL FINDINGS RELATING TO THIS PROBLEM ARE DISCUSSED, AND A REAR-MOUNTED SPEED DISPLAY IS SUGGESTED. THE FINDINGS OF A STUDY CONCERNED WITH AN ACCELERATOR RELEASE SIGNAL ARE PRESENTED. CHARACTERISTICS OF AN IMPROVED REAR LIGHTING AND SIGNALLING SYSTEM ARE PRESENTED. /TRRL/