A study was undertaken to apply the French Language Services Act to English signing on 161 km of provincial freeways in Metropolitan Toronto, and the cities of Hamilton and Mississauga. The necessary research provided an opportunity to redesign existing signing, not only for French-speaking drivers, but for all drivers - particularly other non-English-speaking drivers and older drivers. Phase One was development of alternative freeway sign designs based on practices elsewhere, on a literature review, and on advice from other traffic safety researchers. Phase Two tested selected alternatives and current signs for comprehension and glance-legibility performance. Two main objectives were set for creation of signing alternatives on parallel collector and express roadways. First, to enhance driver comprehension by presenting more clearly and forcefully the message that 'the right lane must exit' (to a connecting roadway). Second, to bilingualize or symbolize exit messages. The physical impracticality of presenting both languages in the limited space of one sign reduced the number of alternatives. Other freeway sign types and one specific sign sequence were also included for redesign and testing. (Author/publisher)
Abstract