Visibility Depiction For Nighttime Roadways and Construction Sites

Abstract

This Paper Describes Some Visual Depiction Options To Explain To A Jury The Process Of Seeing While Driving, Particularly At Night. Describing What Probably Could Have Been Seen By A Driver In A Specific Situation Can Be A Difficult Assignment. It Is Seldom Possible To Recreate The Situation Either Because Many Of The Accident Scene Elements Have Changed And/Or It Just Isnt Practical To Do So In The Context Of A Courtroom Display. In The Absence Of Some Type Of Visual Display Jury Members Tend To Base Their Conclusions On Just Their Own Limited Knowledge And Experiences. For Example, A Young Adult With Say 20115 Vision, Superior Depth Perception, And Accommodation To Glare Might Well Assume That Most People Can See What He Or She Does While Driving At Night. It Is Common For Most People To Believe That They Have Excellent Vision. However, In Order To Get A Drivers License In Most States, A Person (Even One With Age-Related Vision Deterioration) Has Only To Demonstrate Corrected 20140 Vision, May Not Be Tested For Depth Perception, And Will Have Had No Measurement Of Night Glare Accommodation. Additionally, The Condition Of A Vehicle S Headlights And/Or Windshield Can Have A Significant Effect On The Drivers Seeing Process. Thus, From The Standpoint Of Depicting What A Driver Could Have Seen, There Can Be A Wide Range Of How To Define What That Means In The Accident Reconstruction Expert Testimony Process.