Enhancing Visibility and Aesthetics of Warning Clothing for Non-Professional Use via Active and Passive Lighting

Numerous road accidents involving vulnerable road users result from their insufficient visibility to drivers. To increase the appeal of warning clothing and motivate consumers to use it, particularly in non-professional settings, an innovative high-visibility vest with an active lighting system (ALS) and phosphorescent elements was developed. The effectiveness of the vest’s visibility-enhancing elements was assessed by examining two factors: the intensity of the light emitted by the phosphorescent tapes and the luminance of the optical fibers in the ALS. Studies have shown that thermal-transfer phosphorescent tapes are approximately 42% more effective in terms of luminescence than sewn-on tapes. The ALS demonstrated high durability, withstanding up to 15 washing cycles at 40 °C in a mild process. The luminance of optical fibers decreases significantly with increasing distance from the light source (LED). The difference between the luminance at the light source and at the end of the 1 m optical fiber was about 6 cd/m2, representing approximately 68% of the maximum luminance value. This finding can assist in designing luminous clothing. Tests in real-world conditions in a tunnel have shown that the ALS allows the visibility of vest user to be increased to over 430 m, which is a 67% increase compared to retroreflective tapes. Laboratory performance testing confirmed the high acceptability of the vest model, including its aesthetics, by potential users.