Using relative visual performance to predict performance of an interpersonal evaluation task with variation in adaptation luminance, observer age, skin tone, pavement reflection and interpersonal distance

Abstract

This study concerns road lighting for pedestrians. Many experiments have been conducted to determine how changes in lighting affect the ability to make interpersonal evaluations, usually considering variations in light level or light spectrum. Here, we consider an alternative approach, predicting performance using an existing model, Relative Visual Performance. The results show that face evaluation ability is affected by adaptation luminance, pavement surface reflectance, observer age, and skin tone of the observed person. Previous experimental studies have tended to use young test participants to evaluate Caucasian or Asian faces: if the situation instead involved an elderly person evaluating a face of South African skin tone, then the current analysis predicts that for optimal performance the light level would need to be doubled.

The impact of road lighting on road user alertness in the evening

“…The intended basis of current road lighting guidance, such as CIE-115:2010 and BS5489-1:2020, 1,2 is to meet the visual needs of key road users such as pedestrians and drivers. 3 Research that might contribute includes evidence of the effect of changes in lighting on visual performance, 4–8 visual perception 9–11 and on indirect measures such as road traffic collisions (RTCs) 12–14 or the tendency to use certain modes of travel. 15,16…”