EVALUATION OF DIAGRAMMATIC GUIDE SIGNS

A LABORATORY EVALUATION WAS MADE OF DIAGRAMMATIC SIGNS FOR A FREEWAY CLOVERLEAF INTERSECTION, A LANE DROP, A MULTIPLE-SPLIT RAMP, A LEFT RAMP DOWNSTREAM FROM A RIGHT RAMP, TWO RIGHT RAMPS IN QUICK SUCCESSION, AND A MAJOR FORK. THE EVALUATION INCLUDED A COMPARISON OF DIAGRAMMATIC AND CONVENTIONAL SIGNS, BASED ON THE SPEED AND ACCURACY OF THE SUBJECTS' LANE SELECTIONS. CONVENTIONAL SIGNS WERE FOUND SLIGHTLY MORE EFFECTIVE OVERALL THAN THE EXPERIMENTAL DIAGRAMMATIC SIGNS. THEY PRODUCED FEWER LANE-PLACEMENT ERRORS AND ERRORS ON EXIT LANES, AND THEY WERE MORE QUICKLY RESPONDED TO THAN DIAGRAMMATIC SIGNS. THE CONVENTIONAL SIGNS WERE ALSO PREFERRED BY THE SUBJECTS. IN NONE OF THE 6 TYPES OF INTERCHANGES TESTED DID DIAGRAMMATIC SIGNS PROVIDE BETTER PERFORMANCE THAN CONVENTIONAL SIGNS. OF THE DIAGRAMMATIC SIGNS TESTED, THE ONE SHOWING A LARGE EXIT ARROW GAVE THE BEST PERFORMANCE. CONSIDERATION MIGHT BE GIVEN TO INCREASING THE SIZE OF THE CONVENTIONAL EXIT ARROW. THE MAJOR FORK SYMBOL ALSO SHOWED UP FAIRLY WELL. THE RESULTS OF THIS STUDY APPLY ONLY TO THE SIGN DESIGNS TESTED. OTHER DIAGRAMMATIC SIGNS ON OTHER TYPES OF ROAD MAY POSSIBLY BE MORE SUCCESSFUL.

• Record URL:
  • http://onlinepubs.trb.org/Onlinepubs/hrr/1972/414/414-005.pdf
• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/isbn/0309020867
• Supplemental Notes:
  • Sponsored by Commiteee on Motorist Information Systems. Distribution, posting, or copying of this PDF is strictly prohibited without written permission of the Transportation Research Board of the National Academy of Sciences. Unless otherwise indicated, all materials in this PDF are copyrighted by the National Academy of Sciences. Copyright © National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved.
• Authors:
  • Gordon, Donald A
• Conference:
  • 51st Annual Meeting of the Highway Research Board
  • Location: Washington District of Columbia, United States
  • Date: 1972-1-17 to 1972-1-21
• Publication Date: 1972

Media Info

• Media Type: Digital/other
• Features: Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: pp 30-41
• Monograph Title: Motorist information systems
• Serial:
  • Highway Research Record
  • Issue Number: 414
  • Publisher: Highway Research Board

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Decision making; Diagrams; Drivers; Freeways; Guide signs; Laboratory tests; Legibility; Reaction time; Signs; Traffic signs
• Uncontrolled Terms: Diagrammatic signs; Driver reaction
• Old TRIS Terms: Decisions; Freeway signs
• Subject Areas: Highways; Operations and Traffic Management;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00226599
• Record Type: Publication
• ISBN: 0309020867
• Files: TRIS, TRB
• Created Date: Apr 2 1973 12:00AM