Application of Infrared Night Vision Devices in the Automotive Field
When driving at night, the road conditions within the distance illuminated by your high beams are clearly visible, but danger lurks constantly in the darkness ahead.
Despite significant advancements in automotive lighting technology over the years, the risks of night driving remain far greater than during the day. It is not uncommon to spot someone changing a tire on the side of the road, or a pedestrian or livestock crossing the highway, only when it is too late to react. A General Motors survey of drivers, who rated dozens of automotive electronic devices based on preference, showed that the vast majority favored vehicle night vision systems and wished to have them installed. The reason lies in the fact that while devices like airbags and ABS only activate during emergencies, night vision systems are proactive tools that prevent problems in advance, significantly enhancing vehicle safety in adverse weather conditions.
According to statistics from the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), although night driving accounts for only one-quarter of total road traffic, it contributes to half of all fatal accidents. Among these, 70% of incidents (2002 data) are caused by poor nighttime visibility.
However, owning an automotive infrared night vision device is like gaining the eyes of an owl with binoculars, as the vehicle's night vision system helps you see obstacles beyond the range of your headlights, providing foresight to detect hidden dangers in the darkness early and greatly improving driving safety.
On the screen, road edges, center lane markings, objects on the road, and pedestrians preparing to cross can all be displayed. Therefore, automotive night vision systems can detect more than headlights alone, and they can capture everything within twice the illumination distance of high beams. However, the nature of infrared imaging technology means the displayed image resembles a black-and-white television picture. Nevertheless, the limited image quality of night vision systems is compensated for by their extended field of view.
