TRAFFIC SIGN RECOGNITION

THE SAFETY AND EFFICIENCY OF OUR STREETS AND HIGHWAYS DEPEND TO A DEGREE UPON THE RESPONSE OF DRIVERS TO TRAFFIC SIGNS AND OTHER CONTROL DEVICES. IN THIS PAPER, THE USE OF TEST SIGNS IS REPORTED TO SHOW HOW A NUMBER OF FACTORS SIGNIFICANTLY AFFECT THE RECOGNITION OF SIGNS BY MOTORISTS. A SIGN, /SOUND HORN/ WHICH REQUIRED A DEFINITE ACTION BY MOTORISTS, WAS ERECTED AT SOME LOCATIONS WHERE IT MADE SENSE AND AT SOME WHERE IT WOULD APPEAR RIDICULOUS AND THE RESPONSES WERE RECORDED ALONG WITH INFORMATION ON VEHICLE SPEEDS, OCCUPANCY, SEX OF DRIVER, AND POSITION OF VEHICLES BLOWING HORNS. THIS INFORMATION WAS ALSO RECORDED WHEN AN ADVANCE SIGN, TEST SIGN AHEAD, WAS IN POSITION. WHEN ANALYZED, RESULTS OF THE FIELD WORK SHOWED SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCES IN THE RESPONSE OF DRIVERS SUBJECTED TO DIFFERENT CONDITIONS. THE STUDY HIGHLIGHTS WHAT IS TOO OFTEN NOT KEPT IN MIND, I.E., THAT THE OBSERVANCE OF TRAFFIC SIGNS IS DEPENDENT UPON IMPORTANT FACTORS OTHER THAN THE VISUAL IMPACT OR LEGIBILITY OF THE SIGNS THEMSELVES. /CGRA/A/