United States Department of Transportation
i
Evaluating the Impact of Detour Messaging on Actual Driver Detour Behavior
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2022-01-01
[PDF-1005.54 KB]
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Edition:Final Report, Dec 2020 to Jan 2022
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Abstract:There is limited research on the effects of variable message sign (VMS) message content on revealed driver behavior. This study investigated the associations of message content with diversion rate during crash incidents using 5 years of VMS message history within a section of I-15 in the state of Utah. The diversion rate was found to be higher when the message consisted of information such as miles to crash, “crash ahead,” location of the crash, delay information, traffic ahead (i.e., is slowing or slows), and lane of the crash. However, “use caution,” speed suggestions, and “prepare to stop” content were found to be negatively associated with diversion rate. When considering message content combinations, combinations of miles to crash + “prepare to stop” had the highest diversion rate, followed by combinations of crash location + delay information, and miles to crash + “use caution” + lane of crash information. These findings could be used by agencies to make informed decisions about choosing the message content during future crash incidents. The study also revealed that a higher diversion rate is associated with a shorter distance between the crash location and VMS device location, which suggests recommending increasing the number of VMS devices, particularly in crash-prone areas. In addition, the diversion rate correlated with some roadway characteristics (e.g., occupancy in mainline) along with the temporal variations.
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