Using Lighting And Visual Information To Alter Driver Behavior

Details

• Creators:
  Bullough, John D. ; Skinner, Nicholas P. ; Brons, Jennifer A. ; Rea, Mark Stanley
• Corporate Creators:
  Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. Lighting Research Center
• Corporate Contributors:
  New York (State). Dept. of Transportation ; United States. Federal Highway Administration
• Subject/TRT Terms:
  Chevron Driving Speed Information Display Systems Speed Display Traffic Speed Visual Information Visual Perception
• Publication/ Report Number:
  C-06-36
• Resource Type:
  Tech Report
• Geographical Coverage:
  New York
• Edition:
  Final report; 2010-2012.
• Corporate Publisher:
  University Transportation Research Center
• Abstract:
  Inappropriate traffic speeds are a major cause of traffic fatalities. Since driving is a task with a substantial contribution
  
  from vision, the use of lighting and visual information such as signage could assist in providing appropriate cues to
  
  encourage appropriate driving speeds. At locations such as sharp roadway curves, an overall reduction in driving speed
  
  might be desirable to prevent rollover crashes. At other locations, such as those prone to chronic congestion (exit/entrance
  
  ramps, work zones and where posted speed limits change), uniformity of vehicle speeds might be desirable in order to
  
  optimize safety and traffic flow. For roadway curves, a method of modifying the size and spacing of traditional chevron
  
  signs along a curve was used to convey the perception of increased curvature sharpness. This treatment was field tested in a
  
  controlled driving experiment, and then tested in a real-world installation along two highway curves in New York State.
  
  Based on the real-world test results, when the perception of curvature sharpness was increased, vehicle speeds were
  
  reduced enough to show a statistically significant change. To address the issue of reducing speed variance at congested
  
  locations, conditional speed display messages were displayed on a changeable message board based on the speed of
  
  oncoming traffic. Under a controlled field experiment, it was found to have the desired impact in terms of driving speed. In
  
  a real-world test installation, drivers modified their speeds which reduced speed variance in response to a similar
  
  conditional speed display sign. The results of the research project suggest that chevron size and spacing modifications can
  
  be readily implemented. Additional limited trials at different types of congested locations should be performed to better
  
  understand the impact of conditional speed displays; however, the present results of this research project are promising.
  
  
• Format:
  PDF
• Funding:
  C-06-36
• Collection(s):
  University Transportation Centers US Transportation Collection
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha256:a0474d33b195c97f26b05278b7555aecb9061c7ec00c04ce6a72407038f9ff20
• Download URL:
  https://rosap.ntl.bts.gov/view/dot/25153/dot_25153_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 3.93 MB ]