Legibility of Light-Emitting Diode Destination Indicators Mounted on the Front of Public Buses

Abstract

Light-emitting diode (LED) destination indicators mounted on the front of buses enable pedestrians to quickly identify bus numbers. In this study, the factors affecting their legibility were investigated. We aimed to deduce the process of enhancing the legibility of LED destination indicators. Combinations of different text colors, text fonts and information display locations were investigated in this study. Significant differences were observed at the longest visual range when these combinations were used. The optimal information display was obtained using the New Johnston Medium typeface with yellow font color on a black background. For the glare distance, significant differences were observed when different information display locations were used. Superior results were obtained when information was centered. This study is of practical importance to people who depend on public transport, especially those in an emergency. In the future, these results can be used as a guide for designing LED destination indicators that are mounted on the front of public buses.