title: Color-specificity to enhance identification of rear lights.
abstract: 30 male and 13 female licensed drivers were given a static reaction-time test for Donders Type B reactions to the onset of automotive rear lights. The lights were displayed as by conventional systems and by a new color-specific method referred to as the "Red Light Means Stop approach." When subjects were instructed to regard all red colored light as brake-signal light, both incidence of identification error and reaction time decreased. Results support the hypothesis that addition of color specificity to rear lighting might prevent some rear-end collisions which occur under adverse driving circumstances.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physical Sciences, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Daytona Beach, FL 32114, USA.
authors.forename: D L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Cameron
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001288:Attention; D001334:Automobile Driving / Q000523:psychology*; D001336:Automobiles; D003118:Color Perception; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009949:Orientation; D011930:Reaction Time