The influence of dimming-induced luminance change on driving safety in tunnels

Although dimming the light in tunnels brings salient benefits to energy saving, the effects of dimming-induced luminance changes on driving safety have been rarely explored. Adopting the visual performance experiment, the present study investigated the impacts of the dimming-induced luminance change rate (V) on the safety of driver’s perception, judgment, and operation in the threshold zone of the tunnel under different seasons and weather conditions. The results show that the reaction times (RTs), pupil area change rate (v(p)), and blink frequency (f(b)), increased with the increase of V. When the luminance before the beginning of dimming (L) was higher, drivers reacted faster and stood a lower level of the mental load and fatigue. Compared with decreasing the luminance through dimming, when increasing the luminance through dimming, the present study found that each of the visual performance indices was about 10% lower, and the changes with V became smaller. Based on the safety thresholds of RT, v(p), and f(b), the present study obtained the thresholds of V which can meet the safety requirements of driver’s perception, judgment, and operation. Finally, a theoretical model between the thresholds of V and L was developed, and this model will shed light on the control of V in the threshold zone of the tunnel under different seasons and weather conditions.