NIGHT DRIVING FAMILIARIZATION

PURPOSE TO FAMILIARIZE DRIVER CANDIDATES WITH NIGHT DRIVING HAZARDS AND PROCEDURES.

REFERENCES AR 600-55, THE ARMY DRIVER AND OPERATOR STANDARDIZATION PROGRAM FM 21-305, MANUAL FOR THE WHEELED VEHICLE DRIVER TC 21-305-2, TRAINING PROGRAM FOR NIGHT VISION GOGGLE OPERATIONS TM 11-5855-238-10 AN/PVS-5 NIGHT VISION GOGGLES OPERATOR’S MANUAL TM 11-5855-262-10-1, AN/PVS-7A NIGHT VISION GOGGLES OPERATOR’S MANUAL

VISION BASICS LIGHT ENTERS THE EYE THROUGH THE PUPIL AND PASSES THROUGH THE LENS WHERE IT IS FOCUSED ON THE RETINA DEPTH PERCEPTION: USED TO DETERMINE HEIGHT AND DISTANCE VISUAL ACUITY: HOW WELL YOU CAN SEE 20/20 IS CONSIDERED NORMAL VISION DARK ADAPTATION TAKES 30 - 45 MINUTES MOVEMENT PLANNERS MUST CONSIDER THIS WHEN PLANNING NIGHT OPERATIONS

PHYSICAL FACTORS IMPACTING NIGHT VISION SMOKING REDUCES NIGHT VISION ABILITY BY 20 PERCENT FATIGUE SLOWS YOUR RESPONSE AND IMPACTS JUDGEMENT EAT FOODS WITH VITAMIN A TO IMPROVE NIGHT VISION (EGGS, CARROTS, CHEESE) EXERCISE DAILY TO HELP PREVENT FATIGUE GET ENOUGH SLEEP BEFORE CONDUCTING NIGHT DRIVING OPERATIONS

INTRODUCTION TO NIGHT DRIVING FATALITY RATE FOR NIGHTTIME DRIVERS IS TWICE THAT OF DAYTIME DRIVERS BASED ON MILES DRIVEN, NIGHT DRIVING IS TWO TO THREE TIMES MORE DANGEROUS THAN DAY DRIVING FATIGUE AND REDUCED VISION ARE THE MAIN CAUSES OF THE GREATER DANGER DAYTIME: DRIVERS CAN SEE SEVERAL THOUSAND FEET AHEAD NIGHTTIME: DRIVERS CAN ONLY SEE AT MOST A FEW HUNDRED FEET

HEADLIGHT GLARE CAN BLIND YOU FOR 2 -3 SECONDS AT 50 MPH 3 SECONDS = 219 FEET FATIGUE IMPAIRS JUDGEMENT SLOWS REACTIONS MANY DRIVERS AT NIGHT ARE FATIGUED MAY CAUSE OPTICAL ILLUSIONS INCREASES GLARE RECOVERY TIME

NIGHT DRIVING SAFETY SCAN FOR HAZARDS AS FAR AHEAD AS POSSIBLE SPEED RULE OF THUMB: NEVER OUTRUN YOUR HEADLIGHTS YOUR STOPPING DISTANCE SHOULD BE LESS THAN YOUR SIGHT DISTANCE HEADLIGHTS MUST SHINE 200 FEET STOPPING DISTANCE AT 55MPH = 307 FEET (107 FEET MORE THAN SIGHT DISTANCE) BOTTOM LINE: SLOW DOWN AT NIGHT

NIGHT VISION GOGGLE (NVG) FAMILIARIZATION NVGs AMPLIFY AVAILABLE AMBIENT LIGHT STARLIGHT MOONLIGHT OTHER SOURCES NVGs DO NOT MAGNIFY IMAGES PERFORMANCE DIRECTLY RELATED TO AMOUNT OF AMBIENT LIGHT MORE AMBIENT LIGHT MEANS BETTER RESOLUTION AND OBJECT IDENTIFICATION DISCUSS WHAT HAPPENS IN A BLOWOUT: - A LOUD BANG - VEHICLE SWERVES FROM SIDE-TO SIDE - HARD TO STEER

NIGHT VISION GOGGLE (NVG) FAMILIARIZATION VISUAL ACUITY WITH NVGs WILL ALWAYS BE LESS THAN NAKED EYES BEST ACUITY WITH AN/PVS-7 NVG = 20/40 BEST ACUITY WITH AN/PVS-5 NVG = 20/50 DEPTH PERCEPTION EFFECT: 0-20 FEET: DEPTH PERCEPTION DECREASED 20-500 FEET: DEPTH PERCEPTION ABOUT EQUAL TO UNAIDED EYE 500 FEET AND MORE: DEPTH PERCEPTION DECREASED

NIGHT VISION GOGGLE (NVG) FAMILIARIZATION PERIPHERAL VISION REDUCED NO COLOR DISCRIMINATION NVG PICTURE IS GREEN HARD TO DISTINGUISH BETWEEN SOME OBJECTS SOME EFFECTS MAY LINGER AFTER NVGs ARE REMOVED RAIN, HAZE, FOG, SNOW AND SMOKE REDUCE NVG PERFORMANCE

NIGHT VISION GOGGLE (NVG) FAMILIARIZATION THREE GENERATIONS OF NVGs AN/PVS-5 IS SECOND GENERATION AN/PVS-7 MAY BE SECOND OR THIRD GENERATION THIRD GENERATION NVGs HAVE REDUCED SENSITIVITY TO BLUE OR GREEN LIGHT FOR NIGHT OPERATIONS USE FLASHLIGHTS WITH BLUE OR GREEN FILTERS SECOND GENERATION NVGs FAIL GRADUALLY MAINTENANCE PERSONNEL MUST CHECK THEM FREQUENTLY TO ENSURE PROPER OPERATION

NIGHT VISION GOGGLE (NVG) FAMILIARIZATION USE OF NVGs DURING DAYLIGHT WILL DAMAGE THE NVG INFRARED LIGHT MAY BE USED BUT MAKES THE NVG AN ACTIVE SYSTEM THAT THE ENEMY CAN DETECT NVGs PROTECT YOUR EYES FROM LASERS USE OF VEHICLE INSTRUMENT PANEL LIGHTS REDUCES NVD EFFECTIVENESS AVOID ROUGH HANDLING OF NVGs

NIGHT VISION GOGGLE (NVG) FAMILIARIZATION CARE AND MAINTENANCE PROTECT NVGs FROM DUST, SAND, AND HUMIDITY DO NOT USE ANTI-MISTING CLOTHS OR CHEMICALS ON THE LENSES USE LENS COVERS WHEN NOT WEARING THE GOGGLES ENSURE THE SELECTOR IS IN THE OFF POSITION BEFORE INSTALLING OR REMOVING BATTERIES

NIGHT VISION GOGGLE (NVG) FAMILIARIZATION CARE AND MAINTENANCE (CONTINUED) NVG RESOLUTION CHECKS ARE REQUIRED EVERY 180 DAYS CHECK FOR PROPER TUBE OPERATION BEFORE EACH MISSION NEVER STORE NVGs WET OR IN A WET CARRYING CASE READ THE TM TO ENSURE YOU FULLY UNDERSTAND PROPER OPERATING AND MAINTENANCE PROCEDURES

DRIVING WITH NIGHT VISION GOGGLES FOR MOST EFFECTIVE NVG OPERATION, DIM OR TAPE OVER ALL VEHICLE DASHBOARD LIGHTS NO DARK ADAPTATION PERIOD NEEDED FOR NVG USE KEEP ANY BRIGHT LIGHTS OUT OF THE NVG FIELD OF VIEW REMEMBER DUST, RAIN, FOG AND SNOW REDUCE NVG EFFECTIVENESS

DRIVING WITH NIGHT VISION GOGGLES SPEED RULE OF THUMB: NEVER DRIVE FASTER THAN 25 MPH WITH NVGs AR 600-55, CHAPTER 8, REQUIRES COMMANDERS TO ESTABLISH NVG SPEED LIMITS BASED ON: TYPE AND GENERATION OF NVG TYPE OF VEHICLES BEING DRIVEN WEATHER TERRAIN MISSION/ROUTE TYPE AMOUNT OF LIGHT AVAILABLE

DRIVING WITH NIGHT VISION GOGGLES FM 21-305, CHAPTER 23 HAS GRAPHS NEEDED TO DETERMINE SAFE SPEED UNDER DIFFERENT CONDITIONS NEVER USE NVGs ON PUBLIC ROADS OR HIGHWAYS USE A CONTINUAL, SLOW SCANNING PATTERN TO IMPROVE OBJECT IDENTIFICATION USE GROUND GUIDES WHEN OPERATING A VEHICLE WHILE USING NVGs IF THE VEHICLE OR NVGs MALFUNCTION WHILE DRIVING, PULL TO THE RIGHT HAND SIDE OF THE ROAD AND WARN OTHER DRIVERS

VEHICLE LIGHT SWITCH TO MOVE TO ANY POSITION EXCEPT B.O. MARKER, LIFT THE UNLOCK SWITCH BLACKOUT MARKER LIGHTS 2 ON FRONT AND 2 ON REAR USED TO MARK LOCATION OF VEHICLE DURING BLACKOUT CONDITIONS MARKER LIGHTS DO NOT ILLUMINATE THE ROAD

REAR BLACKOUT MARKER LIGHTS EACH REAR LAMP HAS 2 PAIRS OF “CAT’S EYES” TURNS RED WHEN ON ONE LIGHT: TOO FAR AWAY TWO LIGHTS: JUST RIGHT FOUR LIGHTS: TOO CLOSE BLACKOUT STOP-LIGHT FLASHES WHITE WHEN BRAKES ARE APPLIED

FRONT BLACKOUT MARKER LIGHTS EACH FRONT LIGHT HAS ONE PAIR OF CAT’S EYES TURNS WHITE WHEN ON MORE THAN 60 FEET AWAY: EACH PAIR APPEARS AS ONE LIGHT LESS THAN 60 FEET AWAY: APPEARS AS A PAIR OF CAT’S EYES IN EACH LIGHT

BLACKOUT DRIVING LIGHT MOUNTED TO THE LEFT OF THE LEFT HEADLIGHT GIVES LIMITED LIGHT BLACKOUT DRIVE LIGHT HMMWV FRONT VIEW BLACKOUT MARKER BLACKOUT MARKER HMMWV REAR VIEW

SUMMARY PURPOSE REFERENCES VISION BASICS INTRODUCTION TO NIGHT DRIVING NIGHT DRIVING SAFETY NIGHT VISION GOGGLE (NVG) FAMILIARIZATION DRIVING WITH NVGs VEHICLE LIGHTS

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