Roadway Lighting: An Investigation and Evaluation of Three Different Light Sources.

摘要

Nighttime visibility has been shown to be influenced by the lamp type used for roadway lighting, because the lamp's spectral output can influence sensors in the retina that are active at night. The report investigates the nature of these spectral effects and provides an in-depth review of available knowledge. It also addresses lighting levels and their relationship to driver safety. Three candidate lamp types have been analyzed in terms of technical characteristics and associated costs. This involves factors such as the efficacy with which the sources produce light, lamp life, and maintenance characteristics. Ideal lighting designs have been performed using the three sources for identical road sections, and initial and operating costs have been calculated, to assist in contrasting the difference between the sources. Two research plans have been developed for further investigations. One is a major project of field experimentation to determine relationships between visibility, safety, lighting level and lamp type under practical driving conditions. The other is based on using roadway sections lighted by the three sources respectively for the collection of accident data.