U.S. Department of Transportation
Federal Highway Administration
1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
Washington, DC 20590
202-366-4000


Skip to content
Facebook iconYouTube iconTwitter iconFlickr iconLinkedInInstagram

Federal Highway Administration Research and Technology
Coordinating, Developing, and Delivering Highway Transportation Innovations

Report
This report is an archived publication and may contain dated technical, contact, and link information
Publication Number: FHWA-HRT-04-134
Date: December 2005

Enhanced Night Visibility Series, Volume III: Phase II—Study 1: Visual Performance During Nighttime Driving in Clear Weather

PDF Version (859 KB)

PDF files can be viewed with the Acrobat® Reader®

APPENDIX K—VALET PROTOCOL

 

VALET PROTOCOL FOR ENV OBJECTS

  1. Pick up all necessary items from the building.
    • Valet Box: tape measure, leveler, safety glasses, dry erase marker, eraser, and a pen or pencil
    • Flashlight
    • Radio
    • Vest
    • Stepping Stool
    • VES order Sheet for the evening
    • Object order for the onroad experimenters

  2. Take care of all the experimental materials.
    • Get radios for onroad and in-vehicle
    • Check that all the materials needed are in the blue boxes and that flashlights all work
    • Get vests for all the onroad crew

  3. Assist onroad crew with setting up the road and drop them off at their stations.

  4. Be sure to be wearing a vest at all times.

  5. Park vehicles at the top turnaround.

  6. Make sure that radios are on.

  7. Valets should have a radio on channel 2 and a radio on channel 3

  8. Place the stepstools on the side of the road.

  9. Wait for drivers to arrive at the first turnaround.

  10. First night: Drivers will do a practice lap.

    Second Night: Drivers will stop so Valets can confirm that the proper headlamps are on.

    Make sure to wear your safety glasses.

  11. Wait at the top turn around and prepare for the vehicles to return.
    • The first parking space on each side is termed a “vehicle drop off” and needs to be available at the end of every lap. The valets will move any vehicle that is left in those locations to the forward most parking spots.
    • Whenever possible, the first driver that returns to the top of the hill should have their next vehicle waiting for them at the foremost parking spot. Valets will need to look at the VES order sheet to determine which vehicle will be used next and which parking spots should be used to ensure that the drivers’ wait-time is minimized.

Basic Duties of a Valet

  1. Show drivers to their next vehicle as per the experimenter sheet.
    • Wait for vehicle to come to a complete stop before approaching it.
    • Ask the participant to turn off the vehicle and to hand you keys.
    • Turn off lights.
    • Put the keys to each car in the door lock when it is not being used.
    • Assist driver in getting out of the vehicle if necessary.
    • Use the stepstools if necessary.
    • Lead/Guide participant from one vehicle to the next by shining the flashlight on the road in front of them.
    • Open the door for the participant and move the seat back before they get in.

  2. Orient person to next vehicle and turn on the lights.
    • See Vehicle Orientation Sheet.
    • If they have been in the vehicle before, ask them if they remember the controls. Be sure to offer to answer questions.
    • Be sure to turn on the lights yourselves. Do not let the participant do it. If they reach for the light switch, tell them, “That’s OK, I’ll take care of this for you.”
    • Explain participant where the dimmer switch is.
    • Remind the participant to keep their seatbelt on at all times.
    • Ask them if they have any questions.

  3. Complete the measurements (night 2 only).
    • To do this, first explain to the participant that you are going to make a mark on the window as to where their eye level is located. Instruct them to adjust their seat to where they think they will be comfortable. Once they are situated, tell them to look ahead, relax, and stay as still as possible. Close the door and take the measurements.
    • Use the level (located in valet box) to assess participant’s eye position. Once you have found their eye position mark a “+”on the glass (using a dry-erase marker).
    • Using the “+” as a reference point, take measurements (horizontal and vertical).
    • Take vertical measurement with metal end of tape measure down where the glass intersects with the black plastic.
    • Take horizontal measurement with metal end of tape measure to the right where glass intersects with black plastic.

  4. Before driver goes down the road, ensure the headlamps are on and working. USE SAFETY GLASSES.
    • Sedan: Regular headlamps only.
    • Black SUV: If UV is required, make sure they are working. Otherwise, make sure the two standard ones are on (HLB or HID).
    • White SUV: The top three UV lights should be on for medium conditions while all five should be on for high conditions. Report if one is not working or extremely dull. The standard lights (HLB and HID) should be working at all times.
    • Pickup: The two external headlamps on the front of the vehicle should be on. (Upper bulbs should be lit for HOH. Lower bulbs should be lit for HHB).

  5. Take a 15 minute break between sessions (if running a double).
    • Pick up Onroad Crew and return to the building for a break
    • Change the following radio batteries prior to returning to the road
      • 2 in-vehicle radios
      • 2 radios from station 2/4
      • 1 radio from station 1/5 (the one used for channel 2)
      • 1 radio from station 3 (the one used for channel 2)

  6. Repeat the above protocol if running a double or triple shift.

  7. Shutdown procedures:
    • Assist Onroad with gathering all items from the road
    • Put away dirty scrubs
    • Sign all the radios back in
    • Make sure that all radios and batteries are accounted for
    • Make sure the power is off when you put the radios into the charger
    • Submit paperwork to in-vehicle experimenter

 

VEHICLE ORIENTATION SHEET

Sedan

  • This one you need to have them start the vehicle before orienting them because the seat and wheel move when you start it. Be sure to warn the participants of that before you start the car.
  • Button on left side of seat moves seat up and down, back and forth (show button).
  • Button for the steering wheel moves the wheel up and down, in and out.
  • There are many lights. The only ones they need to worry about are the speedometers- analog and digital (point each out). The subject is free to use whichever they feel most comfortable with.
  • Turn on the headlamps all the way (two clicks). Make sure they are on before you leave the vehicle.
  • Show the participant how to adjust the interior lights. If necessary, help them to adjust it by asking them to tell you when it is comfortable.

Black SUV

  • Button on left side of seat moves seat up and down, back and forth (show button).
  • Lever on steering column moves the wheel up and down.
  • Hand the participant the keys and have them start the car.
  • Turn on the parking lights (one click only).
  • Show the participant how to adjust the interior lights. If necessary, help them to adjust it by asking them to tell you when it is comfortable.

White SUV

  • Button on left side of seat moves seat up and down, back and forth (show button).
  • Lever on steering column moves the wheel up and down.
  • Hand the participant the keys and have them start the car.
  • Turn on the parking lights (one click only).
  • Show the participant how to adjust the interior lights. If necessary, help them to adjust it by asking them to tell you when it is comfortable.

Pickup

  • Lever in front of seat moves seat back and forth, (show lever).
  • Hand the participant the keys and have them start the car.
  • Turn on the parking lights (one click only).
  • Show the participant how to adjust the interior lights. If necessary, help them to adjust it by asking them to tell you when it is as bright as they would normally have it.

 

Previous    Table of Contents    References
Federal Highway Administration | 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE | Washington, DC 20590 | 202-366-4000
Turner-Fairbank Highway Research Center | 6300 Georgetown Pike | McLean, VA | 22101