Abstract
A traffic sign needs to be located at a distance that allows drivers to read and understand the message prior to their decision in manoeuvring. The study is aimed at evaluating signs visibility at intersections without traffic lights using the drivers reading distance and detection distance. A total of 35 participants with valid driver’s licences were asked to detect and read 6 advance guide signs at an intersection without traffic lights on an urban road. Factors that potentially determine signs readability and visibility such as vehicle’s speed, vehicle’s travelling time, signs vertical offset and signs letter height which affect signs detection distance and reading distance are analyzed using multivariate regression. The experiment was conducted during night time to present heavier driving and sign reading environment. The positions of the signs were evaluated based on the actual sign positions and the detection and reading distances. Some of the findings include that vehicle travel time, vehicle speed, sign letter height, and sign vertical offset all significantly have a relationship with the sign reading distance whilst sign letter height does not have a significant relationship with the detection distance. The study also evaluated the signs compliance with the applied standards.
Highlights
A traffic accident caused by the less aware driver, most commonly occur at low-volume urban roads with fewer control tools to notify the drivers of the environment or obstacle ahead
When reviewing the sign visibility, many studies often divide it into two main areas: sign detection and sign reading [1,2,3,4]
The reading indicates that the low-grade retro-reflective sheeting material of sign 6 caused it to have low visibility, whilst it has been shown that the visibility of sign at night depends on its retro-reflectivity [1]
Summary
A traffic accident caused by the less aware driver, most commonly occur at low-volume urban roads with fewer control tools to notify the drivers of the environment or obstacle ahead. Traffic signs as one of the control tools on the roads need to be positioned properly to lower accidents risks. Traffic signs need to be visible and readable to drivers to serve the safety function especially at night times [1]. When reviewing the sign visibility, many studies often divide it into two main areas: sign detection and sign reading [1,2,3,4]. These areas are interdependent as drivers cannot read a sign whose presence cannot be detected and cannot understand the message delivered in a sign if it is not readable from the driving position [5]. Sign detectability and visibility are crucial in traffic safety and are part of a self-
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