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)
Samenvatting