Driver visibility study based on SAE, Describing and Measuring the Driver’s Field of View

Lion Electric Co., a Québec-based manufacturer that specializes in developing all-electric trucks and buses, recently mandated Creaform Engineering to assist in the visibility study for its all-electric urban class 8 truck, the Lion8, in order to realize an optimal cab design that maximizes the driver’s field of view. The ultimate goal was to improve safety by allowing the driver to be more aware of his surrounding environment.

To do so, Creaform Engineering based its study on the SAE Recommended Practice, the J1050 (Describing and Measuring the Driver’s Field of View) and used the eyellipse method described in the SAE J941 norm, a specific method to measure the extent of the fields or obstructions that would be seen by a selected group of drivers.

Driver visibility study based on SAE standards, Describing and Measuring the Driver’s Field of View

 

Lion Electric Co. requested that the 95th percentile eyellipse be used during the evaluation process; in other words, 95% of the drivers had to see the calculated fields. Furthermore, Creaform Engineering reviewed compliance of the CL8 truck against some additional APTA’s recommendations:

  1. The peripheral view had to be a minimum of 90 degrees.
  2. The vertical view from the bottom of the cab’s windshield had to allow drivers of the 95th percentile and 5th percentile to see 1.20 m in front of the vehicle’s bumper.
  3. The view from the top of the cab’s windshield had to be at least 15 degrees above the eyellipse.
  4. The A-pillar could not exceed 10 degrees of binocular obstruction.

Creaform Engineering conducted the vision analyses of the vehicle’s cab to identify how the drivers’ seating reference points affected their eyellipse. At the end, the results confirmed that the configuration of the driver’s environment respected and even exceeded the recommendations.

Driver visibility study based on SAE standards, Describing and Measuring the Driver’s Field of View

 

Do you work in the automotive industry and are looking to analyze and improve your driver’s field of view and visibility? Need third-party expertise to assess your vehicles based on the SAE J1050 norm? Contact the Creaform Engineering team today.