Peripheral Blindness Test

[w124nut]

I tried this test and it does exactly what they said it would do. They should teach this stuff to learner drivers.

MSF

(You can alter the background colour or the rpm of the array by clicking the appropriate buttons.

So, if you are driving at a high speed on a highway and if you fix your gaze on the road straight ahead, you will not see a car, a scooter, a buggy, a bicycle, a buffalo or even a human being approaching from the side. Now reverse the picture. If you are crossing a road on foot and you see a speeding car approaching…, there’s a 90% chance that the driver isn’t seeing you, because his/her peripheral vision may be blind! And you may be in that blind zone!

 

[artyman]

That seems strange since it is our periphal vision that is most sensitive to movement, a natural defence mechanism, just in case a predator approaches. Watching for birds, one is instantly alerted if something moves to the side of the central focus. Now whether the brain is supressing this information when driving as it is receiving a continual movement signal from the periphary I don't know.

 

[Mr. B]

Should have gone to Specsavers.

 

[Mozzer]

That seems strange since it is our periphal vision that is most sensitive to movement, a natural defence mechanism, just in case a predator approaches. Watching for birds, one is instantly alerted if something moves to the side of the central focus. Now whether the brain is supressing this information when driving as it is receiving a continual movement signal from the periphary I don't know.

I agree and I think the point is MOVEMENT. If the yellow dots were moving, they would not disappear from peripheral vision as much.

 

[Mozzer]

In fact if you fire up the program and just gently move your laptop / monitor the yellow dots do not disappear at all. Quod erat demonstrandum.

 

[DITTRICH]

I would add visibility as well as movement. Particularly at this time of year at twilight or after dark, pedestrians / cyclists who move and are visible are safest.

I was travelling home on the A21 from Hastings yesterday and pootling down the inside lane when I came across a dark coloured vintage car with two rear lights the size of Christmas Tree lights travelling at 40mph versus my 65mph. I only saw it after the car in front also travelling at my speed overtook it.

 

[Troon]

You are virtually colour-blind in peripheral vision; and your rods cannot see red very well. In the dark, red lights* in your peripheral vision are almost undetectable whereas blue lights are very bright.

The Rods and Cones of the Human Eye

(* if doing an experiment, use an LED which is red versus a "red bulb" which is red-biased broadband light)

 

[Troon]

duplicate?!!