Behavioral Traffic Safety Messaging on Variable Message Signs (2022) / Chapter Skim
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P A R T 2 Conduct of Research
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2-3 Problem Statement Variable message signs (VMS) (also sometimes referred to as changeable, electronic, or dynamic message signs)
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2-4 Behavioral Traffic Safety Messaging on Variable Message Signs Previous Research BTS Messaging Concepts and Effectiveness BTS messaging on VMS is a specific strategy within the overall context of roadway safety communication efforts and campaigns. Such campaigns typically have one or more of the following goals (Delhomme et al.
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Background 2-5 Display of BTS Messages on VMS The traveling public has tended to view the display of BTS messages on VMS as useful and valuable (Benson 1996)
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2-6 Behavioral Traffic Safety Messaging on Variable Message Signs • The driver will slow down to create more viewing and reading time of the message before passing the sign, creating turbulence in the traffic stream and speed differentials with other vehicles on the roadway. Past research has shown that various VMS design and message formatting and display characteristics can adversely affect driver information perception, processing, and retention abilities.
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Background 2-7 the use of unconventional wording in VMS messages and public input into the development of VMS messages. Although not focused exclusively on BTS messages, much of the ruling pertains directly to such messages.
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2-8 Behavioral Traffic Safety Messaging on Variable Message Signs • Message characteristics that promote motorist understanding of VMS (e.g., message design, size, color, speed of switching between message phases)
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2-9 BTS Message Creation and Approval As part of this research, the research team surveyed state and local agencies to determine existing policies and practices regarding BTS message creation, approval, and display on VMS in their jurisdictions. Researchers also requested BTS messages that the agencies had posted over the past year.
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2-10 Behavioral Traffic Safety Messaging on Variable Message Signs suggestions. Furthermore, a decision needs to be made beforehand as to how many suggestions are going to be used and the schedule of their use.
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Current Practices Regarding BTS Message Design and Display on VMS 2-11 Agency Display Criteria Colorado DOT • Messages used sparingly during peak periods. • Messages rotated for campaigns lasting more than 1 week.
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2-12 Behavioral Traffic Safety Messaging on Variable Message Signs in urban areas. However, considerable variation is evident among agencies as to the number of BTS messages allowed to be displayed on VMS and the duration of those displays.
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Current Practices Regarding BTS Message Design and Display on VMS 2-13 In terms of the length of BTS messages displayed on VMS, Table 3 shows that 55 percent of agencies limit such messages to what can be posted on a single VMS phase. The remaining 45 percent use a combination of single-phase and dual-phase BTS messages or two-phase BTS messages exclusively on their VMS.
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2-14 Behavioral Traffic Safety Messaging on Variable Message Signs brain activity than those that did not and concluded that such increased activity was indicative of higher message effectiveness (Shealy et al.
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Current Practices Regarding BTS Message Design and Display on VMS 2-15 Message Issue Percent of All BTS Messages Nonapproved abbreviations used 6 Message was confusing or unclear 4 Each VMS phase was not a complete thought 2 Message ended one thought and started a new one on the same line 2 Total percent of nonconforming BTS messages 14 Table 6. Relative frequency of VMS message design issues in BTS messages.
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2-16 Introduction The task of driving places both cognitive and psychomotor demands on the driver. Drivers take information in from a variety of sources (the environment, traffic control devices, other vehicles)
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Human Factors Testing of BTS Message Displays on VMS 2-17 performance while viewing any of the BTS messages was found to be worse than it was while viewing the baseline traffic management messages, it would suggest that the BTS message was creating potentially excessive attentional demands upon the driver. Similarly, if test subjects were found to be less able to identify the actual safety topic(s)
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2-18 Behavioral Traffic Safety Messaging on Variable Message Signs centerline 50 times per second. The absolute values of these relative distances from the centerline were then averaged over the display time of the message to assess how well the subject performed the tracking task.
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Human Factors Testing of BTS Message Displays on VMS 2-19 • On a scale of 1 to 5, is the message likely to influence the behavior of other drivers (1 = not at all likely, 5 = extremely likely)
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2-20 Behavioral Traffic Safety Messaging on Variable Message Signs One Safety Topic Implied in Both Phases Phase 1 Phase 2 M1 SHARE THE ROAD WITH MOTORCYCLES WATCH FOR MOTORCYCLES, DRIVE SAFELY M2 NOBODY RELISHES A PICKLED DRIVER DON'T BE A TURKEY DRIVE SOBER Two Different Safety Topics Implied in Each Phase Phase 1 Phase 2 M3 DRIVE HIGH GET A DUI SLOW DOWN AND SAVE A LIFE M4 YAKETY YAK DON'T TEXT BACK TRICK OR TREAT NO LEAD FEET One Safety Topic in One Phase and One General Statement in Other Phase Phase 1 Phase 2 M5 SLOW DOWN ENJOY THE RIDE 1200 TRAFFIC DEATHS THIS YEAR M6 DON'T DRIVE INTEXTICATED BE SAFE DRIVE SMART FARMERS FIGHT M = message. Table 7.
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Human Factors Testing of BTS Message Displays on VMS 2-21 One Safety Topic Implied in Both Phases Phase 1 Phase 2 M7 STATE LAW BUCKLE UP EVERYONE EVERY TIME BUCKLE UP: IT COULD MEAN LIFE OR DEATH M8 LIFE IN THE FAST LANE TAKE IT EASY TELL YOUR LEAD FOOT TO LIGHTEN UP Two Different Safety Topics Implied in Each Phase Phase 1 Phase 2 M9 DRIVE SMART TEXT LATER IT CAN WAIT MOVE OVER FOR RED, BLUE OR AMBER LIGHTS M10 LEAVE THE BUZZ FOR THE BEES DRIVE SOBER HORNS UP PHONES DOWN IT CAN WAIT One Safety Topic in One Phase and One General Statement in Other Phase Phase 1 Phase 2 M11 EYES ON ROAD HANDS ON WHEEL MIND ON DRIVING 2500 SPEEDING TICKETS ISSUED LAST MONTH M12 DON'T MAKE TWO CLOSE SHAVES GROOM AT HOME DRIVE WITH CARE SO WE ALL GET THERE M = message. Table 8.
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2-22 Behavioral Traffic Safety Messaging on Variable Message Signs One Safety Topic Implied in Both Phases Phase 1 Phase 2 M13 SLOW DOWN IN WORK ZONES, GIVE 'EM A BRAKE WORK ZONES WE DON'T SPEED THROUGH YOUR OFFICE M14 SURELY YOU BUCKLE?
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Human Factors Testing of BTS Message Displays on VMS 2-23 Similar statistics by gender are presented in Table 12. Relative to the traffic management messages, BTS messages again resulted in significantly lower percentages of correct topic identification or perceived understanding of the message relative to the traffic management messages at both low- and high-CTT difficulty levels.
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2-24 Behavioral Traffic Safety Messaging on Variable Message Signs to correctly identify the safety topic(s) of a BTS message without humor, wit, or pop culture references were very similar to their abilities to identify an information unit of interest in traffic management messages.
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Human Factors Testing of BTS Message Displays on VMS 2-25 The incorporation of humor, wit, and pop culture references into BTS messages also had a detrimental effect on subject ratings of the likelihood that the message would positively influence the behavior of drivers. As shown in Table 16, subjects rated the traffic management messages very high for this question, yielding an average 4.6 rating out of 5 and with 93 percent of subjects rating such messages as likely or very likely to influence driving behavior.
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2-26 Behavioral Traffic Safety Messaging on Variable Message Signs At the high CTT difficulty level, average CTT scores for BTS messages with greater than 11 words were moderately to substantially higher than for the traffic management messages. The percent of subjects correctly identifying the safety topic(s)
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Human Factors Testing of BTS Message Displays on VMS 2-27 scores, lower abilities to correctly identify those topics, and lower self-assessments of message understanding. Subject ratings of the likelihood that the BTS messages would influence driving behaviors were lower than those of the traffic management messages but were similar among the three BTS message topic categories themselves at both CTT difficulty levels.
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2-28 Behavioral Traffic Safety Messaging on Variable Message Signs For BTS messages without humor, wit, or pop culture references, this study also indicated that messages greater than 16 words resulted in worse CTT scores, a lower percent of correct identification of safety topics, and a lower percent of self-reported understanding of the messages than when subjects viewed traffic management messages with four information units (the maximum recommended length of traffic management messages)
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2-29 Conclusions The objective of this research project was to develop a guide for the use of VMS to deliver BTS messages to motorists. The project consisted of a thorough review of U.S.
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2-30 Behavioral Traffic Safety Messaging on Variable Message Signs • Use of humor, wit, colloquialisms, and pop culture references should be avoided in BTS messages. • Use of websites, domain names, hashtags, or electronic device application names in the message should also be avoided.
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Conclusions and Recommendations 2-31 • Messages should not include telephone numbers. • Messages should not include scrolling lines, animation, flashing displays, punctuation, or graphic symbols or icons not included in the MUTCD.
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2-32 Benson, B.G.
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Part 2 References 2-33 Harder, K.A.
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2-34 Behavioral Traffic Safety Messaging on Variable Message Signs Robertson, R.D.
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B-1 A P P E N D I X B Agency Survey Questions 1. Which Transportation Management Centers (TMCs)
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B-2 Behavioral Traffic Safety Messaging on Variable Message Signs g. Do you use BTS messages from other agencies?
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C-1 A P P E N D I X C Raw Human Factors Study Results Figure C-1. Subject understanding BTS message safety topics using 9 to 11 words by age group.
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C-2 Behavioral Traffic Safety Messaging on Variable Message Signs Figure C-2. Subject understanding BTS message safety topics using 15 to 16 words by age group.
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Raw Human Factors Study Results C-3 Figure C-3. Subject understanding BTS message safety topics using 18 to 21 words by age group.
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C-4 Behavioral Traffic Safety Messaging on Variable Message Signs Figure C-4. Subject self-reported understanding of BTS message using 9 to 11 words by age group.
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Raw Human Factors Study Results C-5 Figure C-5. Subject self-reported understanding of BTS message using 15 to 16 words by age group.
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C-6 Behavioral Traffic Safety Messaging on Variable Message Signs Figure C-6. Subject self-reported understanding of BTS message using 18 to 21 words by age group.
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Raw Human Factors Study Results C-7 Figure C-7. Subject self-reported understanding of traffic management message topics by age group.
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C-8 Behavioral Traffic Safety Messaging on Variable Message Signs Figure C-8. Average CTT scores for BTS messages using 9 to 11 words by age group and self-determined CTT difficulty level.
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Raw Human Factors Study Results C-9 Figure C-9. Average CTT scores for BTS messages using 15 to 16 words by age group and self-determined CTT difficulty level.
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C-10 Behavioral Traffic Safety Messaging on Variable Message Signs Figure C-10. Average CTT scores for BTS messages using 18 to 21 words by age group and self-determined CTT difficulty level.
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Raw Human Factors Study Results C-11 Figure C-11. Average CTT scores for traffic management messages by age group and selfdetermined CTT difficulty level.
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C-12 Behavioral Traffic Safety Messaging on Variable Message Signs Figure C-12. Average CTT scores for BTS messages with and without humor or pop culture references by age group and self-determined CTT difficulty level.
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Abbreviations and acronyms used without denitions in TRB publications: A4A Airlines for America AAAE American Association of Airport Executives AASHO American Association of State Highway Officials AASHTO American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials ACI–NA Airports Council International–North America ACRP Airport Cooperative Research Program ADA Americans with Disabilities Act APTA American Public Transportation Association ASCE American Society of Civil Engineers ASME American Society of Mechanical Engineers ASTM American Society for Testing and Materials ATA American Trucking Associations CTAA Community Transportation Association of America CTBSSP Commercial Truck and Bus Safety Synthesis Program DHS Department of Homeland Security DOE Department of Energy EPA Environmental Protection Agency FAA Federal Aviation Administration FAST Fixing America's Surface Transportation Act (2015) FHWA Federal Highway Administration FMCSA Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration FRA Federal Railroad Administration FTA Federal Transit Administration GHSA Governors Highway Safety Association HMCRP Hazardous Materials Cooperative Research Program IEEE Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers ISTEA Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act of 1991 ITE Institute of Transportation Engineers MAP-21 Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act (2012)
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Transportation Research Board 500 Fifth Street, NW Washington, DC 20001 ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED ISBN 978-0-309-68713-3 9 7 8 0 3 0 9 6 8 7 1 3 3 9 0 0 0 0
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