MOTORISTS' COMPREHENSION OF EXIT LANE DROP SIGNS AND MARKINGS

A literature review and two motorist surveys designed to investigate current motorist comprehension of exit lane drop signs and markings are presented. In the first motorist survey study, motorists viewed computer-generated scenes of a freeway with markings and signs appropriate for an exit lane drop situation. The types of markings varied among different alternatives. Motorists were asked to indicate the anticipated movement of traffic in different lanes. The first study also contained questions on the participants' preferences of signs at different locations along an exit lane drop. The second survey was a mail-out survey to driving instructors who were asked to provide their interpretations of their students' comprehension of exit lane drop signs and markings. The results of the research indicate that motorists have a high level of understanding of the yellow EXIT ONLY panel; however, they have a poor understanding of the meaning of the white arrow next to a yellow EXIT ONLY panel. Motorists have equal comprehension of the meaning of a solid white line and double white lines extending from the gore, but they have lower comprehension of lane drop markings (short wide lines or short gaps).

• Record URL:
  • http://onlinepubs.trb.org/Onlinepubs/trr/1994/1464/1464-007.pdf
• Record URL:
  • https://scholar.google.com/scholar_lookup?title=MOTORISTS%27+COMPREHENSION+OF+EXIT+LANE+DROP+SIGNS+AND+MARKINGS&author=K.+Fitzpatrick&author=M.+Ogden&author=T.+Lienau&publication_year=1994
• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/isbn/0309060699
• Supplemental Notes:
  • This paper appears in Transportation Research Record No. 1464, Human Engineering in Transportation Systems, User Information Systems, and Highway Safety Issues. 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:
  • Fitzpatrick, Kay
  • Ogden, Michael
  • Lienau, Torsten
• Publication Date: 1994

Language

• English

Media Info

• Features: Figures; References;
• Pagination: p. 51-59
• Monograph Title: Human engineering in transportation systems, user information systems, and highway safety issues
• Serial:
  • Transportation Research Record
  • Issue Number: 1464
  • Publisher: Transportation Research Board
  • ISSN: 0361-1981

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Comprehension; Consumer behavior; Consumer preferences; Data collection; Drivers; Guides to the literature; Interchange ramps; Lane drops; Literature reviews; Road markings; Surveys; Traffic signs
• Old TRIS Terms: Freeway entrances and exits
• Subject Areas: Highways; Operations and Traffic Management; Safety and Human Factors; I73: Traffic Control;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00677614
• Record Type: Publication
• ISBN: 0309060699
• Files: TRIS, TRB
• Created Date: May 8 1995 12:00AM