Seeing Pedestrians at Night: Visual Clutter Does Not Mask Biological Motion

Richard A. Tyrrell; Joanne M. Wood; Alex Chaparro; Trent P. Carberry; Byoung-Sun Chu; Ralph P. Marszalek

doi:10.1016/j.aap.2009.02.001

Seeing Pedestrians at Night: Visual Clutter Does Not Mask Biological Motion

Richard A. Tyrrell, Joanne M. Wood, Alex Chaparro, Trent P. Carberry, Byoung-Sun Chu, Ralph P. Marszalek

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

 Although placing reflective markers on pedestrians’ major joints can make pedestrians more conspicuous
 to drivers at night, it has been suggested that this “biological motion” effect may be reduced when visual
 clutter is present. We tested whether extraneous points of light affected the ability of 12 younger and 12
 older drivers to see pedestrians as they drove on a closed road at night. Pedestrians wore black clothing
 alone or with retroreflective markings in four different configurations. One pedestrian walked in place
 and was surrounded by clutter on half of the trials. Another was always surrounded by visual clutter but
 either walked in place or stood still. Clothing configuration, pedestrian motion, and driver age influenced
 conspicuity but clutter did not. The results confirm that even in the presence of visual clutter pedestrians
 wearing biological motion configurations are recognized more often and at greater distances than when
 they wear a reflective vest.

Original language	American English
Journal	Accident Analysis Prevention
Volume	41
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aap.2009.02.001
State	Published - May 2009
Externally published	Yes

Keywords

pedestrian
visibility
conspicuity
night driving

Disciplines

Vision Science

Access to Document

10.1016/j.aap.2009.02.001License: Unspecified

Cite this

@article{b62a9cf7f21a4271b27d15acaa9f7915,

title = "Seeing Pedestrians at Night: Visual Clutter Does Not Mask Biological Motion",

abstract = " Although placing reflective markers on pedestrians{\textquoteright} major joints can make pedestrians more conspicuous to drivers at night, it has been suggested that this “biological motion” effect may be reduced when visual clutter is present. We tested whether extraneous points of light affected the ability of 12 younger and 12 older drivers to see pedestrians as they drove on a closed road at night. Pedestrians wore black clothing alone or with retroreflective markings in four different configurations. One pedestrian walked in place and was surrounded by clutter on half of the trials. Another was always surrounded by visual clutter but either walked in place or stood still. Clothing configuration, pedestrian motion, and driver age influenced conspicuity but clutter did not. The results confirm that even in the presence of visual clutter pedestrians wearing biological motion configurations are recognized more often and at greater distances than when they wear a reflective vest.",

keywords = "pedestrian, visibility, conspicuity, night driving",

author = "Tyrrell, {Richard A.} and Wood, {Joanne M.} and Alex Chaparro and Carberry, {Trent P.} and Byoung-Sun Chu and Marszalek, {Ralph P.}",

year = "2009",

month = may,

doi = "10.1016/j.aap.2009.02.001",

language = "American English",

volume = "41",

journal = "Accident Analysis Prevention",

issn = "1879-2057",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - Seeing Pedestrians at Night: Visual Clutter Does Not Mask Biological Motion

AU - Tyrrell, Richard A.

AU - Wood, Joanne M.

AU - Chaparro, Alex

AU - Carberry, Trent P.

AU - Chu, Byoung-Sun

AU - Marszalek, Ralph P.

PY - 2009/5

Y1 - 2009/5

N2 - Although placing reflective markers on pedestrians’ major joints can make pedestrians more conspicuous to drivers at night, it has been suggested that this “biological motion” effect may be reduced when visual clutter is present. We tested whether extraneous points of light affected the ability of 12 younger and 12 older drivers to see pedestrians as they drove on a closed road at night. Pedestrians wore black clothing alone or with retroreflective markings in four different configurations. One pedestrian walked in place and was surrounded by clutter on half of the trials. Another was always surrounded by visual clutter but either walked in place or stood still. Clothing configuration, pedestrian motion, and driver age influenced conspicuity but clutter did not. The results confirm that even in the presence of visual clutter pedestrians wearing biological motion configurations are recognized more often and at greater distances than when they wear a reflective vest.

AB - Although placing reflective markers on pedestrians’ major joints can make pedestrians more conspicuous to drivers at night, it has been suggested that this “biological motion” effect may be reduced when visual clutter is present. We tested whether extraneous points of light affected the ability of 12 younger and 12 older drivers to see pedestrians as they drove on a closed road at night. Pedestrians wore black clothing alone or with retroreflective markings in four different configurations. One pedestrian walked in place and was surrounded by clutter on half of the trials. Another was always surrounded by visual clutter but either walked in place or stood still. Clothing configuration, pedestrian motion, and driver age influenced conspicuity but clutter did not. The results confirm that even in the presence of visual clutter pedestrians wearing biological motion configurations are recognized more often and at greater distances than when they wear a reflective vest.

KW - pedestrian

KW - visibility

KW - conspicuity

KW - night driving

U2 - 10.1016/j.aap.2009.02.001

DO - 10.1016/j.aap.2009.02.001

M3 - Article

SN - 1879-2057

VL - 41

JO - Accident Analysis Prevention

JF - Accident Analysis Prevention

ER -