This article discusses recent experiences of installation of variable message signs (VMSs) in Israel and the Netherlands. Although VMS systems have been used world-wide for more than ten years, they have suffered from display technology limitations and other problems until very recently. Improvements in technology, including the use of light-emitting diodes (LEDs) have now made the applications of VMS to road traffic beneficial to drivers and government departments responsible for road safety. A pilot project was recently conducted in Haifa, Israel, to evaluate the efficiency of VMS units in an urban area. Four VMS units were tested, each displaying two 24-character lines of text with 25cm height. Drivers were interviewed while waiting for traffic lights to change at intersections displaying the units. It was found that drivers prefer to have traffic information, even if they do not use it. Most drivers could read the VMSs and think that VMSs reduce traffic anxiety. The Dutch Ministry of Traffic recently began roadside testing of an LED VMS mounted on a mobile trailer. It was found that only 4.4% of cars were speeding past a roadworks sign, displaying very bright yellow-white LEDs visible in daylight, even in direct sunlight. 34 LED lane control signs have recently been installed in Jerusalem.
Abstract