Perception and Reaction - Hazards
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Driving at night increases the time a driver takes to perceive a hazard. That is, unless the roadway is well lit. In the above situation the roadway was poorly lit and a tractor-trailer was stopped blocking 3 lanes of travel. A vehicle impacts the trailer after leaving 24 ft. skid marks. An analysis of the perception/reaction time, vehicle speed and Texas law was performed. Texas transportation code states that headlights must reveal a vehicle at a minimum distance of 150 ft. Based on this distance the driver didn't have enough time to perceive/react and stop before impacting the trailer.
