Investigation into Visual Acuity Required for Recognizing Trackside High Speed Signals

Abstract

An investigation was conducted to collect the fundamental data required to reevaluate the eyesight standards applied in the physical examination of train drivers. It was especially important to determine if drivers could recognize high speed signals while running at a speed of about 160 km/h. Test subjects were required to wear the special glasses that adjusted their visual acuity for the test conditions and to identify signals from a train cab.
Data was collected according to three headings, namely "Recognition Errors," "Subjective appearance ratings" and "Recognition Distance," for subjects with visual acuity ranging from 0.4 to 1.2.