[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 107 (Thursday, June 3, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Page 31452]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-12500]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

[Docket No. NHTSA-2001-9663]


Notice of Workshop on Headlamp Safety Metrics; Balancing 
Visibility and Glare

AGENCY: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, DOT.

ACTION: Notice of workshop on Headlamp Safety Metrics; Balancing 
Visibility and Glare.

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SUMMARY: The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) 
will conduct a technical workshop to discuss the current state of 
knowledge regarding the development and use of safety-related metrics 
for evaluating forward lighting systems. A diverse group of automotive 
lighting, vision, and safety experts will be invited to make 
presentations regarding their views and research on this topic. The 
presentations will focus on approaches for developing safety-related 
metrics as a basis for evaluating and quantifying the tradeoff between 
glare and visibility needed to enhance nighttime driving safety and 
mobility for all road users. The workshop participants will discuss 
what steps can be taken in terms of research for evaluating the safety 
impact of new lighting technologies.

Date and Time: The workshop will be held on July 13, 2004, from 8:30 
a.m. to 5 p.m.

ADDRESSES: The workshop will be held at the Capitol Holiday Inn, 
Discovery Ball Room, 550 C Street, SW., Washington, DC 20024.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: If you are interested in attending, 
please register for the workshop by contacting Jenny O'Rourke by July 
2, 2004, at (202) 366-4850 or Jennifer.O'[email protected]. Please 
note that the attendance will be limited to the first 50 registrants 
due to space limitations. For technical questions, contact Michael 
Perel, Office of Vehicle Safety Research, at (202) 366-5675 or 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Technology advances in automotive forward 
lighting may help drivers see further, but can also increase glare that 
could affect the safe mobility of other drivers. This glare may be not 
only bothersome, but possibly detrimental to safety. Existing 
regulations for automotive lighting have been developed to balance the 
visibility benefits with the glare consequences based on older filament 
lamp technologies. New, more efficient light sources and advanced 
optics may alter this balance. To evaluate the tradeoffs between 
visibility and glare, metrics are needed that represent the safety 
impact of forward lighting photometric performance.
    The workshop is primarily intended for technical experts in the 
fields of driving performance, vehicle lighting, and vision. Through a 
combination of invited lectures and group discussions among attendees, 
a dialogue will be started to help define glare and visibility and to 
identify useful approaches for developing metrics and safety limits. 
This workshop will not address changes to NHTSA policies or regulations 
regarding glare. Topics will include: Physiology of the visual system, 
visual requirements for driving, new forward lighting technologies, and 
measuring the impact of forward lighting on safety.
    The handouts and other information presented at the workshop will 
be available for public inspection in the DOT Docket in Washington, DC, 
within 3 weeks after the meeting. Copies of the materials will be 
available at ten cents a page upon request to DOT Docket, Room PL-401, 
400 Seventh Street, SW., Washington, DC 20590. The DOT Docket is open 
to the public from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The material may also be accessed 
electronically at http://dms.dot.gov, at Docket No. NHTSA-02-13957.
    The handouts and other information presented at the workshop will 
also be available on NHTSA's Web site at URL http://www-nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/departments/nrd-01/presentations/presentations.html.
    Should it be necessary to cancel the meeting due to inclement 
weather or any other emergencies, a decision to cancel will be made as 
soon as possible and posted immediately on NHTSA's Web site at URL 
http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/nhtsa.announce/meetings/. If you do not have 
access to the Web site, you may call for information at the contact 
listed above and leave your telephone or telefax number. You will be 
contacted only if the meeting is canceled.

    Issued on: May 26, 2004.
Joseph N. Kanianthra,
Associate Administrator for Vehicle Safety Research.
[FR Doc. 04-12500 Filed 6-2-04; 8:45 am]
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