MOTORIST UNDERSTANDING OF ALTERNATIVE DESIGNS FOR TRAFFIC SIGNS. FINAL REPORT
This report describes a series of evaluations in which ten traffic control devices were evaluated by a total of 978 participants. The traffic control devices evaluated in the project include one regulatory sign, six warning signs, and three other types of signs. The evaluations included four focus group meetings with a total of 19 participants evaluating ten devices, a driver survey with 747 participants evaluating nine devices, and a follow-up survey with 212 participants evaluating five devices. The four focus group evaluations utilized an open-ended question-and-answer format in which participants were allowed to freely discuss and illustrate their ideas. The driver survey and the follow-up survey utilized a multiple-choice question-and-answer format. This report also describes the findings of each of the evaluations conducted, based on age, gender, ethnicity, and education, as well as recommendations and implementation efforts for each of the ten traffic control devices evaluated. The primary recommendations include: retain the current standard for use, adopt the standard word message sign as the preferred sign over the standard symbol sign, adopt an alternative design which demonstrated an improved comprehension, and/or conduct additional evaluations to further study a particular device in more detail.
-
Supplemental Notes:
- Research study title: Assessment and Improvement of Motorist Understanding of Traffic Control Devices.
-
Corporate Authors:
Texas Transportation Institute
Texas A&M University System, 1600 E Lamar Boulevard
Arlington, TX United States 76011Texas Department of Transportation
Research and Technology Transfer Office, P.O. Box 5051
Austin, TX United States 78763-5051Federal Highway Administration
1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
Washington, DC United States 20590 -
Authors:
- Picha, D L
- Hawkins Jr, H G
- Womack, K N
- Publication Date: 1995-11
Language
- English
Media Info
- Features: Appendices; Figures; Photos; References; Tables;
- Pagination: 204 p.
Subject/Index Terms
- TRT Terms: Comprehension; Design; Drivers; Evaluation; Focus groups; Recommendations; Regulatory signs; Traffic signs; Warning signs
- Old TRIS Terms: Traffic sign design
- Subject Areas: Design; Highways; Operations and Traffic Management; Research; I73: Traffic Control;
Filing Info
- Accession Number: 00724976
- Record Type: Publication
- Report/Paper Numbers: FHWA/TX-96/1261-5F, Res Rept 1261-5F, TTI: 0-1261
- Contract Numbers: Study 0-1261
- Files: TRIS, USDOT, STATEDOT
- Created Date: Aug 27 1996 12:00AM