Readability of Self-Illuminated Signs in a Smoke-Obscured Environment

Details

• Creators:
  Rasmussen, P.G. ; Garner, J.D. ; Blethrow, J.G. ; Lowrey, D.L.
• Corporate Creators:
  Civil Aeromedical Institute
• Corporate Contributors:
  United States. Office of Aviation Medicine
• Subject/TRT Terms:
  • Air transportation crashes
  • Smoke
  • Visual perception
  • Distance perception
  • Vision tests
  • Emergency exits
  • Signals
  • Lighting
  • Luminance
  • Experiments
  More +
• Publication/ Report Number:
  FAA-AM-79-22 ; DOT/FAA/AM-79/22
• Resource Type:
  Tech Report
• Geographical Coverage:
  United States
• Corporate Publisher:
  Civil Aerospace Medical Institute
• Abstract:
  This study investigates the ability of people with normal distant visual acuity to identify self-illuminated emergency signs in a smoke-obscured environment. The results indicate that signs whose background luminance meets or exceeds the requirements of Federal Aviation Regulation (FAR) 25.812 are readable under favorable conditions when the total optical density of the smoke between the observer and the signs ranges between 3.00 and 3.55. Substantial increases in character sizes in the signs produce only moderate improvement in readability. Some limitations on the practical application of these data to predicting sign visibility in adverse conditions are discussed.
• Format:
  PDF
• Download URL:
  https://rosap.ntl.bts.gov/view/dot/21175/dot_21175_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 874.85 KB]
• Collection(s):
  FAA Fire Safety ; US Transportation Collection ; FAA Civil Aerospace Medical Institute
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:df9f03c1eea2d51d5b5edef1a171b831c84f52ab8c20162f04e06af03ae51b4a1974f5d2517d06606c8042791d99d3107b40447ddc33951663a43cee953dbe4f