Ford lights the night guided by psychology

In the niche world of automotive lighting design, decisions are judiciously made with the knowledge that each can impact human psychology.

Consider this all-too-familiar scenario.

At the end of a long workday, there is still a traffic-clogged roadway to contend with on the drive home. Fellow commuters are stuck too, growing impatient, irritable, and often distracted.

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As the minutes tick away, the sky grows darker. By the time the car pulls into the garage, the driver is grumpy, even a bit depressed.

Ford lighting designers and engineers say this irritable mental state is, in part, due to poor automobile lighting and how humans psychologically cope. These lighting experts are working to make life a bit brighter.

The latest solution is a LED lighting innovation Ford calls Crystal Diamond Light.

The lighting improves efficiency up to 62 per cent while lowering cost.

It also miniaturizes the fixture, an aesthetic desired by designers. The diamond-like facets of the lens offer even, broad distribution of light.

Crystal Diamond Light first debuted on the Ford F-150 pick-up and will trickle down to other models starting with the new Ford Fusion.

Consideration of human physiology is also a factor with interior lighting.



Around the time the world was preparing for Y2K and the predicted doom that would ensue, Ford began work to update its Corporate Green interior dash lighting.

The mandates included choosing a color that is pleasing to the eye, one that provides a higher quality of lighting, with good contrast for twilight and night vision.

And because men and women see some colors differently, the shade had to be universally accepted by the color cones of both sexes.

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