@article{ref1,
title="Nighttime legibility of traffic signs: conditions eliminating the effects of driver age and disability glare",
journal="Accident analysis and prevention",
year="1982",
author="Sivak, Michael and Olson, Paul L.",
volume="14",
number="2",
pages="87-93",
abstract="The effects of observer age and environmental glare on nighttime legibility of traffic signs were investigated in two field experiments with the subjects driving or riding in a car towards a sign. Experiment 1 showed that equating older and younger subjects in terms of their low luminance/high contrast visual acuity resulted in elimination of any age effects on legibility. Furthermore, the presence of a glare source with an illuminance of 0.17 or 0.017 lux offset 2[deg] from the sign legend improved legibility distance significantly. The results of Experiment 2 indicated that a glare source with an illuminance of 0.0098 lux had no effect on legibility when presented at an offset angle of 1.5[deg] or 0.6[deg], but it had a significant detrimental effect at an offset angle of 0.2[deg]. The present findings suggest that (1) the usually observed age-related performance decrement on nighttime legibility tasks is the result of visual-acuity deficits, and not shortcomings in information-processing ability; (2) legibility is relatively unaffected by glare, unless the glare angle is very small or glare level very high; and (3) glare sources positioned outside of the fovea might improve nighttime legibility performance under certain conditions.<p />",
language="en",
issn="0001-4575",
doi="",
url="http://dx.doi.org/"
}