Abstract
This study investigates the potential effect(s) of different dynamic message signs (DMSs) on driver behavior using a full-scale high-fidelity driving simulator. Different DMSs are categorized by their content, structure, and type of messages. A random forest algorithm is used for three separate behavioral analyses—a route diversion analysis, a route choice analysis, and a compliance analysis—to identify the potential and relative influences of different DMSs on these aspects of driver behavior. A total of 390 simulation runs are conducted using a sample of 65 participants from diverse socioeconomic backgrounds. Results obtained suggest that DMSs displaying lane closure and delay information with advisory messages are most influential with regards to diversion, while color-coded DMSs and DMSs with avoid route advice are the top contributors potentially impacting route choice decisions and DMS compliance. In this first-of-a-kind study, based on the responses to the pre- and post-simulation surveys as well as results obtained from the analysis of driving-simulation-session data, the authors found that color-coded DMSs are more effective than alphanumeric DMSs, especially in scenarios that demand high compliance from drivers. The increased effectiveness may be attributed to reduced comprehension time and ease with which such DMSs are understood by a greater percentage of road users.
Highlights
Over the past couple of decades, numerous attempts have been made by researchers to understand the influence of various design, traffic, and environmental factors on driving behavior [1,2,3,4,5,6,7]
In response to the survey, most participants indicated a preference for either I-95 or whichever route was suggested by a global positioning system (GPS) or a smartphone to go from the origin to the destination in the study area
Disparity was observed between route choice selected in survey and route choice during the simulation sessions, which indicates that driving simulators are a valuable tool in this kind of research
Summary
Over the past couple of decades, numerous attempts have been made by researchers to understand the influence of various design, traffic, and environmental factors on driving behavior [1,2,3,4,5,6,7]. Since diversion and route choice behavior, especially during inclement weather conditions or incident occurrence, are among the top aspects of driver behavior targeted by DMSs, there is a need to study the impact(s) of different message displays on DMS diversion rate as well as driver’s compliance and route choice behavior. A driving simulator provides a controlled environment with fairly realistic traffic and environmental scenarios, which is not possible in other methods This driving simulator-based study fills the aforementioned gap in the literature by analyzing route diversion behavior, route choice, and compliance behavior under the influence of different content, structure, and type of DMSs using random forest technique. In addition to analyzing driver behavior, the study explored the usefulness of two color-coded/graphic DMS displays, created with consideration for the colorblind
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