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Use of retroreflectors in the improvement of nighttime highway visibility
Author(s) -
Woltman H.
Publication year - 1982
Publication title -
color research and application
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.393
H-Index - 62
eISSN - 1520-6378
pISSN - 0361-2317
DOI - 10.1002/col.5080070307
Subject(s) - visibility , brightness , retroreflector , warning signs , luminance , computer science , sign (mathematics) , coding (social sciences) , environmental science , computer vision , optics , transport engineering , engineering , physics , mathematics , mathematical analysis , laser , statistics
A half‐century ago retroreflective glass buttons were formally approved to improve the nighttime visibility of highway signs. The development of flexible retroreflective sheetings dates from the late 1930s, and these unique materials permitted the uniform color coding of warning, regulatory, and informational signs. Color coding has contributed to more rapid comprehension and the transmission of fairly complex information. The success of the signing system at night depends on sign brightness, size, and on the natural background against which the driver must see the sign. Research on signing materials is providing improved brightness, while greater understanding of our dependence on the nighttime environment is leading to attempts at characterizing this important variable. The subsequent adjustment of sign luminance will provide traffic signs that more satisfactorily match driver needs.