Retroreflective materials make nighttime pedestrians more conspicuous to drivers, especiallywhen configured in a biological motion pattern. Because retroreflectors are only effective whenthey are illuminated by a light source near the driver, they are not useful for pedestrians who arepositioned outside the beam of a vehicle’s headlamps. Electroluminescent materials have thepotential to enhance conspicuity in these conditions. We investigated the conspicuity benefits ofadding electroluminescent material to clothing containing retroreflectors. We compared, using anopen-road course at night, the distances at which 120 observers responded to a test pedestrianwearing one of two garments at one of three roadside locations. Response distances to thegarment that contained both electroluminescent and retroreflective materials were significantlylonger, particularly when the pedestrian was more poorly illuminated as a result of beingpositioned on the left shoulder. These findings suggest electroluminescent materials have thepotential to enhance the conspicuity of pedestrians.
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