Improvements in symbol sign design to aid older drivers. Summary report.

Author(s)
-
Year
Abstract

This summary report briefly reports the results of a two phase laboratory investigation that studied the design of symbol signs to aid older drivers. Phase I results found that (1) older drivers' comprehension of symbol signs was poorer than both younger and middle-aged drivers, and (2) older drivers' legibility distances were shorter. These findings were especially true of recreational and cultural signs, where the symbols are ambiguous and background color tends to provide poor conspicuity. Phase II results from the modified and novel sign studies found that sign modification did little to improve comprehension, which was from 67% to 100% across all signs. Overall, the degree of improvement for the redesigned signs was greater than for the modified signs, and the redesign was especially helpful for the least legible signs. For a full report on symbol sign design see FHWA-RD-94-069, "Symbol Signing for Older Drivers". (Author/publisher)

Request publication

1 + 6 =
Solve this simple math problem and enter the result. E.g. for 1+3, enter 4.

Publication

Library number
20060385 ST [electronic version only]
Source

McLean, VA, U.S. Department of Transportation DOT, Federal Highway Administration FHWA, Turner-Fairbank Highway Research Center Research and Development RD, 1995, 2 p.; FHWA-RD-95-129

Our collection

This publication is one of our other publications, and part of our extensive collection of road safety literature, that also includes the SWOV publications.