DIAGRAMMATIC GUIDE SIGNS FOR USE ON CONTROLLED ACCESS HIGHWAYS: VOL 11. LABORATORY, INSTRUMENTED VEHICLE, AND STATE TRAFFIC STUDIES OF DIAGRAMMATIC GUIDE SIGNS

THE PURPOSE OF THE DIAGRAMMATIC SIGNING RESEARCH PROJECT WAS TO DEVELOP WARRANTS AND STANDARDS FOR THE USE OF DIAGRAMMATIC GUIDE SIGNS ON CONTROLLED ACCESS HIGHWAYS. VOLUME II DESCRIBES RESEARCH ON THE RELATIVE EFFECTIVENESS OF DIAGRAMMATIC AND CONVENTIONAL SIGNING AS MEASURED IN THE LABORATORY AND IN THE FIELD WITH AN INSTRUMENTED VEHICLE. RELEVANT RESEARCH CONDUCTED BY STATE HIGHWAY DEPARTMENTS, AND THE RESULTS OF A NATIONWIDE SURVEY OF DIAGRAMMATIC GUIDE SIGNS ARE PRESENTED. RESEARCH FINDINGS OBTAINED UNDER THE PROJECT INDICATE THAT DRIVERS REQUIRE MORE TIME TO READ AND INTERPRET INFORMATION ON DIAGRAMMATIC SIGNS IN COMPARISON WITH CONVENTIONAL SIGNS. MOREOVER, AS THE GRAPHIC COMPONENT ON THE SIGN BECOMES MORE COMPLEX, DRIVER INFORMATION INTERPRETATION TIME INCREASES. ACCORDINGLY, IN THOSE CASES WHERE DIAGRAMMATIC SIGNS HAVE BEEN RECOMMENDED, THE STANDARDS SPECIFY THAT SIMPLE GRAPHIC DESIGNS MUST BE USED. RESEARCH RESULTS CLEARLY INDICATE THAT DIAGRAMMATIC GUIDE SIGNS WILL PRODUCE A BENEFIT TO MOTORIST PERFORMANCE AT INTERCHANGES WHERE TRAFFIC MUST EXIT TO THE LEFT OF THE THROUGH ROUTE. SUCH INTERCHANGES INCLUDE MAJOR FORKS WHERE EXITING TRAFFIC MUST TAKE THE LEFT FORK. ALSO INCLUDED ARE INTERCHANGES WHERE THERE IS A SINGLE LEFT EXIT FROM THE ROADWAY AND WHERE THERE IS A LEFT EXIT IN COMBINATION WITH A RIGHT EXIT. /FHWA/

  • Corporate Authors:

    Federal Highway Administration

    Traffic Systems Division, 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
    Washington, DC  United States  20590
  • Authors:
    • Mast, T H
    • Chernisky, J B
    • Hooper, F A
  • Publication Date: 1972-12

Media Info

  • Pagination: 207 p.

Subject/Index Terms

Filing Info

  • Accession Number: 00225076
  • Record Type: Publication
  • Source Agency: Federal Highway Administration
  • Report/Paper Numbers: FHWA-RD-73- 22 Final Rpt., FCP 21N2-814
  • Files: TRIS, USDOT
  • Created Date: Jul 16 1974 12:00AM