ENCOURAGING THE APPROPRIATE USE OF HIGH BEAM HEADLAMPS: AN APPLICATION OF THE THEORY OF PLANNED BEHAVIOR

Drivers typically underuse their high beam headlamps at night even under ideal conditions (i.e., no leading, following, or oncoming vehicles). One explanation for this is a lack of knowledge regarding both the magnitude of visibility problems at night and the benefits that high beams provide. The purpose of the present study was to design and evaluate an educational intervention based on the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) that targeted a more appropriate reliance on high beams. The results of Study 1 indicated that attitudes toward high beams best predicted intentions to use high beams. This information informed the design of an intervention delivered and evaluated in Study 2. TPB components accounted for 41% of the variance in intentions to use high beams and 38% of the variance in high beam usage. The educational intervention and implementation intentions did not significantly increase drivers\u27 use of high beams. Future research should continue to investigate predictors of high beam use and additional ways in which drivers can be encouraged to use their high beams appropriately

Using a Video Camera-Based Method to Gather Real World High Beam Usage Data

The majority of traffic fatalities involving pedestrians occur at night and this is largely attributed to low illumination conditions. Yet, drivers tend to underuse their high beams despite the visibility benefits afforded to them. In the present study we report high beam usage rates during an open-road drive using a video camera-based method. Measurements of low and high beam headlamp illuminance were also taken for all vehicles used in this study. The results indicate that drivers, on average, used their high beams 48% of the time possible. Furthermore, there was a moderately negative relationship between low beam output and high beam use indicating that drivers whose low beams produced less illumination tended to use their high beams more often. Future research should empirically investigate this relationship to lend further insight into the mechanism by which beam output influences beam usage. Research that improves our understanding of drivers’ knowledge and use of high beams is likely to be important as headlighting technologies continue to advance

The conspicuity of pedestrians at night: A review

Drivers' visual limitations are a leading contributor to night-time traffic crashes involving pedestrians. This paper reviews the basic changes in vision that occur at night for young and old visually healthy drivers, as well as those with common ocular pathology. To maximise their safety at night, pedestrians should be conspicuous. That is, beyond being simply visible (detectable as an ambiguous object), they should attract the attention of drivers and be readily perceivable as pedestrians. Research has established that the conspicuity of pedestrians can be optimised by attaching retroreflective markings to the pedestrian's extremities. Doing so highlights the pedestrian's ‘biological motion,’ which facilitates the accurate perception of a person; however, retroreflective markings on the torso (for example, vests) are less effective. Importantly, behavioural evidence indicates that most road users – drivers and pedestrians alike – are not aware of the limitations of night vision. For example, drivers typically ‘overdrive’ the useful range of their headlight beams and under-use their high beam headlight setting. Further, pedestrians overestimate their own conspicuity at night and fail to appreciate the extent to which their own conspicuity depends on their clothing. The widespread misunderstanding of the challenges associated with night driving reflects a lack of awareness of the fundamental limitations of night vision. Educational interventions are needed to ameliorate these dangerous misunderstandings and to improve the safety of all road users at night