Forensic Vision With Application to Highway Safety

Dr. Marc Green has a Ph. D. in experimental psychology and 37 years of experience in basic and applied research in vision, cognitive science, and human factors design. He has served as an expert in matters related to road accidents, warnings, falls, police shootings, product design and other human factors issues as well as in matters related to intellectual property disputes. Dr. Green is currently head of Visual Expert Human Factors Science and adjunct Professor of Ophthalmology at University of West Virginia Medical School. He was previously a postdoctoral fellow, faculty member at several universities, including Brown, Berkley, Indiana University, and Carnegie Mellon. His background includes 98 publications on topics including basic and applied visual science, warning effectiveness, road and other accident causation, and medical error. He has also given numerous presentations at scientific and professional conferences in the U.S. and abroad. Dr. Green has received research awards from the National Eye Institute, the National Science Foundation, the U.S. Air Force and the National Science Engineering and Research Committee. He has been interviewed by The New Yorker, Los Angeles Times, CTV National TV, the National Post, Canadian Broadcasting Company, IEEE radio, and National Public Radio.Merrill J. Allen, O.D., Ph.D., (1918û2003) Professor Emeritus of Optometry of Indiana University, School of Optometry, Bloomington, Indiana, had been involved in vision research and teaching since 1941. He had over 200 publications and received 19 awards including the Research Medal Award from the British Optical Association (1970) and the Apollo Award from the American Optometric Association (1971). He served as an expert witness in over 600 lawsuits, providing opinions on the role of visual factors and alcohol in the cause of motor vehicle accidents. He studied thousands of accident reports, performed accident reconstruction and studied other data in order to render his opinions. Dr. Allen carried out government, industry and optometrically funded research projects and considered consulting on motor vehicle accidents to be attorney subsidized research. Many of his research publications were directed at improving motor vehicle safety by eliminating the design errors that kept showing up in accidents. High-mounted brake lights were a direct result of a research study he did on the Indianapolis Speedway. Daytime running lights resulted from his research funded by the Indianapolis Star newspaper. A railroad crossing accident in Kalamazoo, Michigan, in which he testified, resulted in increasing the brightness of railroad signal lights across the U.S. He believed that simple changes of the visual features of motor vehicles and the driving environment can reduce our accidents 80 percent or more and save over 30,000 lives per year.Bernard S. Abrams, O.D., (1929û2003) was the founder of the Institute of Vehicular Safety. He received his B.S. in Visual Optics at Ohio State University. Dr. Abrams began pursuit of his lifelong interest in Traffic Safety in 1954 as a member of the Columbus Ohio Traffic Commission. Over the years, his interest in night vision and vehicular accidents was enhanced by his work in electro-physiological testing for the night vision of the aged. He lectured about vision on three continents, designed and built optical factories in several countries, and was Chairman of the Board of B.S.A. Industries. Dr. Abrams authored numerous papers and articles dealing with driver visibility, object conspicuity, and nighttime discernibility. He conducted research projects and served on committees related to the vision requirements of the older driver. Dr. Abrams served as a consultant to industries, attorneys, and governmental agencies. He was a nationally recognized expert witness in nighttime/daytime vehicular accidents. Dr. Abrams also conducted classes at various universities, state patrols, and private institutions relating to the visibility aspects of vision in the courtroom.Leslie Weintraub, O.D., is a graduate of Cornell University School of Business and the University of Houston College of Optometry. She is currently in private practice in Tucson, Arizona, as a medical optometrist with an emphasis in pathology.