ALSANCAK COASTAL AXIS – OPPOSING HEADLIGHT COMPRESSION ON COMMERCIAL NARROWING

Along certain commercial segments of the Alsancak Coastal Axis, the carriageway visually narrows at night without physically changing width.

The compression is optical.

Time pattern: 20:30–23:30, especially during winter months when darkness settles earlier.

During these hours, both westbound and eastbound traffic remain active. Retail frontage lighting intensifies. Headlights become the dominant visual reference. The corridor that felt spacious during daylight begins to feel tighter.

A typical sequence unfolds:

Westbound Vehicle A proceeds through a commercial cluster where parked cars line both sides irregularly.
Eastbound Vehicle B approaches with full headlight intensity.
Storefront lighting reflects off glass façades and vehicle surfaces.
Vehicle A drifts slightly right within its lane to compensate for perceived narrowing.

The lateral margin reduces.

Unlike true geometric constrictions, this exposure is driven by visual field overload. Multiple light sources compete: headlights, brake lights, illuminated signage, café façades, and reflective surfaces. Depth perception decreases, especially when road markings are faint or partially worn.

Historically, as Alsancak’s commercial frontage intensified through the 2010s and into the 2020s, nighttime illumination increased significantly. The road itself did not widen. The visual environment did.

Drivers subconsciously compensate for glare by tightening steering input. When two vehicles approach each other within this light-saturated environment, both may drift slightly inward or outward, reducing the safety envelope between lanes.

Compounding this effect is parked vehicle overhang. Even minor encroachment into the carriageway exaggerates the perception of narrowing under headlight glare.

The structural seam forms under four interacting conditions:

Dense commercial lighting
Opposing headlight intensity
Perceived lane narrowing
Subtle lateral drift

The risk is not excessive speed. It is spatial compression created by light saturation.

On the Alsancak Coastal Axis at night, the road does not physically change. The driver’s perception of width does.

The corridor feels tighter.
The margin is smaller than it appears.