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04/4/2008 - Blue Lights Help Raise Driver Alertness
Truckers and others who earn a living traversing the nation’s highways may soon have a new tool to combat driver fatigue. Researchers at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute’s Lighting Research Center (LRC) are currently investigating how exposure to light affects alertness, and they are using that understanding in a variety of practical applications.
A team of LRC researchers is studying how to use blue LED lighting to raise driver alertness. In a recent interview LRC researcher Mariana Figueiro told New Scientist magazine that using lighting to boost alertness is well established, and the next challenge is to put that knowledge to use.
Figueiro told New Scientist that the early results of a study of how blue light affects daytime alertness of sleep-deprived and non sleep-deprived individuals are promising. Exposure to blue light, after just 45 minutes, produces a noticeable increase in brain activity.
Future experiments will be conducted using a driving simulator along with different light spectra and intensities. The objective is to discover the combination that works best at boosting alertness without interfering with the driver’s ability to see the road.
Figuerio says that someday the lights could be installed in truck cabs or truck stops, where truckers could take “light showers” to boost alertness. Another possible application would be to develop goggles with blue LEDs. These tools could be particularly useful for night-time drivers, whose work schedules are often out-of-sync with their body clocks.
Driver fatigue and alertness is an important trucking industry issue and night-time driving is a particular concern. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) recently reported that 30 percent of all fatal accidents involving large trucks in the United States happen when it is dark. Another study – the Driver Fatigue and Alertness Study (DFAS) – found that driver alertness and performance were closely related to the time of day. According to the study, drowsiness episodes were eight times more likely between midnight and 6 a.m.
Night-time driving issues also are an important concern at LRC, which researches energy efficiency, new lighting products and technologies, lighting designs and human factors issues. LRC researchers are working to improve night-time driving by studying automotive and street lighting.
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