VISIBILITY OF DURABLE FLUORESCENT MATERIALS FOR SIGNING APPLICATIONS

Increasing visual complexity in the roadway environment is making the task of driving a greater challenge for the motorist. Recent advances make it possible to produce fluorescent retroreflective materials suit able for long-term outdoor signing applications. This article presents the results of a field study investigating the relative advantage of fluorescent colors over standard colors for detection, color recogniti on, and conspicuity against a complex dark background. These fluoresce nt retroreflective materials are detected with higher frequency, and r ecognized with greater accuracy at further distances than the correspo nding standard highway colors. They also have greater attention-gettin g properties (more Conspicuous) during daylight than the corresponding standard highway colors. The luminance contrast ratio of the sample t o the camouflage background appears to correlate with the visibility/c onspicuity results obtained in this study, particularly within a given color series. (C) 1995 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.