In a `Self-Explaining' road environment (SER) road users know how to behave simply on the basis of the road design. In order to acquire SERs it is important that the design of the infrastructure is adjusted to the way road users categorise the road environment. To determine the prototypical representations underlying road categorisation, subjects had to categorise pictures of road environments as fast as possible. Their response pattern indicated that road users can categorise motorways quickly and accurately indicating a strong prototype for these type of roads. There appeared to be no prototypes for 2 and 4 lane 80km/h roads.
Abstract