READING TIME AND ACCURACY OF RESPONSE TO SIMULATED URBAN FREEWAY GUIDE SIGNS

The results and methodology used in a laboratory study to determine motorists' time required to read urban freeway guide signs and the accuracy with which they read the signs are presented. The study was performed by using licensed drivers as subjects. The subjects, ranging in age from 18 to 79 years, were taken along a hypothetical urban freeway route where 2-, 3-, 4-, and 5-panel signs were used. A sign bridge typically has between one and four sign panels that have a green background and a white border around each panel. Each panel contains one or two route designations, one or more destination cities, and additional action messages. Each panel contained either 2, 4, 6, 8, or 10 units of information. The results of this study indicate that the optimum accuracy level was about 6 units of information/panel. When the information level was less than 16 units, 100 percent of the subjects could read the signs acceptably; when the level was between 16-30 units, 51 percent could read the sign acceptably; and when the level was between 31-50 units, only 33 percent could read the sign acceptably. It is apparent that route-selection accuracy decreases as the number of route choices increases. On a large sign (3 or more panels), the information content should not exceed 16 units of information/sign bridge. The time required to read a sign also increases with the number of route choices and total information on the sign. (Author)

• Record URL:
  • http://onlinepubs.trb.org/Onlinepubs/trr/1982/844/844-009.pdf
• Summary URL:
  • http://scholar.google.com/scholar_lookup?title=READING+TIME+AND+ACCURACY+OF+RESPONSE+TO+SIMULATED+URBAN+FREEWAY+GUIDE+SIGNS&author=R.+McNees&author=C.+Messer&publication_year=1982
• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/issn/03611981
• Supplemental Notes:
  • Publication of this paper sponsored by Committee on User 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.
• Corporate Authors:

  Transportation Research Board

  500 Fifth Street, NW
  Washington, DC  United States  20001
• Authors:
  • McNees, Roger W
  • Messer, Carroll J
• Conference:
  • 61st Annual Meeting of the Transportation Research Board
  • Location: Washington District of Columbia, United States
  • Date: 1982-1-18 to 1982-1-22
• Publication Date: 1982

Media Info

• Media Type: Digital/other
• Features: Figures; Maps; References; Tables;
• Pagination: pp 41-50
• Monograph Title: AUTOMOTIVE TECHNOLOGY, INFORMATION NEEDS OF HIGHWAY USERS, AND PROMOTION OF SAFETY BELT USAGE
• Serial:
  • Transportation Research Record
  • Issue Number: 844
  • Publisher: Transportation Research Board
  • ISSN: 0361-1981

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Accuracy; Design; Drivers; Freeways; Guide signs; Human factors; Information management; Information, data, and knowledge; Reaction time; Reading; Route choice; Simulation; Traffic signs
• Uncontrolled Terms: Driver reaction
• Old TRIS Terms: Freeway signs
• Subject Areas: Data and Information Technology; Design; Highways; Safety and Human Factors; I83: Accidents and the Human Factor;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00367450
• Record Type: Publication
• ISBN: 0309033225
• Report/Paper Numbers: HS-033 620
• Files: HSL, TRIS, TRB
• Created Date: Dec 30 1983 12:00AM