The purpose of the study was to develop and field-test an audible back-up warning device for use on automobiles. Detailed criteria of pedestrian age and hearing ability combined with noise characteristics of typical accident sites provide the basis for selection of a warning signal format. The warning signal (a tone at 1250 Hz pulsed on for 0.1 sec and off for 0.2 sec) is generated by a small loudspeaker mounted at the rear of the vehicle. An essential element of the design, that the system sense the ambient level and adjust its output accordingly, results in a warning signal level approximately equal to the A-weighted noise level throughout the danger zone. This is comparable to a level at least 10 dB above the pedestrian's detection threshold. Evaluation of a prototype system was conducted in typical parking sites using pedestrian subjects of opportunity. Results comparing the normal situation with a test sequence using the warning signal indicated a tenfold improvement in the number of pedestrians warned of the presence of a backing vehicle.
An Audible Automobile Back-Up Pedestrian Warning Device - Development and Evaluation
1976
168 pages
Report
No indication
English
TIBKAT | 1970
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