Information technologies are aiding the growth of new and more rational road transport systems. At the core of Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS), traffic management and control critically depend on technical devices and road information well suited for road users because, in the end, the information in front of road users (e.g. VMS) is the basic tool for improving road traffic. In addition to a necessary technological optimisim, a critical view is necessary for lessening or avoiding pitfalls. New presentation systems may distort the road sign system and worsen communication to road users. Official and unofficial road signs are currently undergoing promising research and professional and policy inquiries, hopefully to aid mobility and road safety. It is clear, though, that ITS may promote a heterogeneous, uncontrolled extension of the road sign system, thus making interpretation on the part of road users more difficult. In addition to changing road information elements (e.g., pictograms, abbreviations, and verbal labels), new VMS device structures force the use of different message formats, making road sign harmonization and coherence all the more difficult.
Samenvatting