Comprehension of Road Traffic Signs by Various Road Users in Kano City

Abstract

Human perception of the information on the road signs is a critical factor in determining the safe use of both the vehicle and the interacting environment. A total of 30 road traffic signs which includes10-warning, 10-regulatory and 10-informatory signs were evaluated using 190 questionnaires to determine comprehension level of road users in Kano. The questionnaire was administered to both private and commercial drivers of trucks, cars, tricycle, motorcycle, and bicycle. Majority of the respondents are male (91.6%) which is due to the disproportionate ratio between male and female drivers in Kano city and 90% of them are youth below the age of 40 years showing that majority of the state drivers are young people. The comprehension level was found to be good 79%. The least comprehended signs in Kano are “park and ride” with comprehension level of 54.7%, followed by “Narrow bridge” (60%), “line merge ahead” (62.1%), “slippery road” (63.2%), “No entry for all vehicles” (70.5%). The signs with up to 90% recognition were “fuel station”, “stop sign” and “school crossing”. Sex, education, driving experience and type of vehicle used seems to affect the comprehension level of drivers in Kano. Truck drivers have a poor understanding of the traffic signs lower than all other classes of road users (65%).