The effect of context and ergonomic design of traffic signs on driver comprehension – a preliminary evaluation

Abstract

A previous study found high and statistically significant correlations between the probability of compre-hending a traffic sign and the extent to which the sign complies with three ergonomic principles of design: sign-content compatibility, familiarity, and standardization. The current study examined whether providing participants with the context in which the sign is presented might help them understand the meaning of the sign. In addition, the study presented a preliminary attempt to overcome misunderstood and poorly unders-tood signs, according to two ergonomic guidelines (compatibility and standardization). Participants were presented with 20 local road signs, both with and without providing the context in which the signs were presented, and were asked to describe their meaning. In a second experiment, the most poorly understood signs were redesigned and driver comprehension was tested again, using a new set of participants. Results showed that context had a significant positive effect on sign comprehension, and partly showed an increase in driver understanding of signs as a result of ergonomic-based redesign.