- Several factors influence the visibility of pedestrians under street lights. These include the light source’s intensity and color spectrum, color and reflectivity of pedestrian clothing, road surface reflectivity, and how the pedestrian is seen (i.e., with peripheral or foveal vision).
- When choosing luminaires, keep in mind that those with broad spectrum characteristics increase detection distances and help motorists recognize pedestrians wearing different clothing colors.
- Using lamps at crosswalks whose color spectrum differs from the overall road lighting helps motorists perceive brightness while heightening their concentration and search behavior.
- Install lighting so pedestrians in a crosswalk are seen in positive contrast. Positive contrast means the background is darker than the pedestrian. Placing luminaires 10 – 15 ft ahead of crosswalks in each direction can accomplish this.
- Luminaires placed ahead of crosswalks need to have a sharp cutoff so exposure to glare produced by oncoming vehicles is minimized.
CONTACT:
Chris VanDyke
Research Scientist | Program Manager
chrisvandyke@uky.edu
