"In every study that considered the question"
A driver discusses the difficulty of understanding modern car light iconography during poor visibility conditions. The author argues that confusing UI design for vehicle lighting can lead to safety issues on the road.
Why it matters
Poorly designed automotive interfaces can lead to human error, potentially increasing accident risks in adverse weather conditions.
I spent most daylight hours yesterday driving in torrential rains in pretty bad visibility, and I was astonished how many cars didn’t have their lights on.
It looked something like this. The cars with tail lights on were somewhat visible, but the cars without them didn’t stand a chance:
= 2x) and (width >= 700px)" srcset="_media/in-every-study-that-considered-the-question/1.2096w.avif" type="image/avif"> = 3x) or (width >= 700px)" srcset="_media/in-every-study-that-considered-the-question/1.1600w.avif" type="image/avif"> I read up about it, and it turns out that the issue wasn’t as much forgetfulness or carelessness. Rather, it all might have to do with iconography.
The UI for lights seems to typically look like this:
= 2x) and (width >= 700px)" srcset="_media/in-every-study-that-considered-the-question/2.2096w.avif" type="image/avif"> = 3x) or (width >= 700px)" srcset="_media/in-every-study-that-considered-the-question/2.1600w.avif" type="image/avif"> Without knowing, can you figure out which setting is which?
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