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For most jobs colour perception is not a key requirement but for some it can be a matter of life and death. The correct interpretation of air traffic landing lights, railway signals and electrical wiring is a safety-critical task for which good colour perception is vital. Research into the use of luminance contrast and colour signals in human vision led to a new Colour Assessment and Diagnosis (CAD) test that has changed colour assessment practices within many occupational environments. Within aviation, 35% of applicants with congenital colour deficiency are now allowed to become pilots and many who previously failed have passed after re-examination. The UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), the National Air Traffic Services Control Centre (UK), the General Civil Aviation Authority (United Arab Emirates), the South African Civil Aviation Authority and others have implemented the CAD test as the only valid, final certification procedure in cases of congenital deficiency. Transport for London (TfL) now uses the technology to screen the vision of its 3,500 train drivers. Decisions regarding fitness for work based on colour vision in these occupations are now reliable and fair. The test also enables the early diagnosis of eye disease and is used in healthcare environments to identify the need for treatment at an early stage, improve patient outcomes, monitor progression of disease and monitor treatment effects in clinical use and drug trials.
Research by UCL's Centre for Transport Studies using PAMELA, a real-world-scale facility for conducting experiments into pedestrian movement, has improved transport services for customers on Thameslink trains and the London Underground, including increasing accessibility to London's transport for people with barriers to mobility, who make 7.1 million journeys each day. The work has led to multimillion-pound savings for Transport for London by reducing the cost of Underground platform humps. It has also informed government advice on procurement and enabled the resolution of concerns raised by the Guide Dogs for the Blind Association about the safety of the Exhibition Road redevelopment in South Kensington.