Using Lighting And Visual Information To Alter Driver Behavior

Bullough, John D.; Skinner, Nicholas P.; Brons, Jennifer A.; Rea, Mark Stanley · 2012 · ROSA P / University Transportation Research Center

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Summary

This study, conducted by the Lighting Research Center at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute for the New York State Department of Transportation, addresses the safety issue of inappropriate traffic speeds, which contribute significantly to traffic fatalities. The research investigates whether visual cues, specifically lighting and signage modifications, can effectively alter driver behavior to improve safety. The project focuses on two distinct scenarios: reducing overall vehicle speeds at sharp roadway curves to prevent rollover crashes, and reducing speed variance at locations prone to chronic congestion, such as ramps and work zones, to optimize traffic flow and minimize rear-end collisions. The researchers employed a two-phase experimental design for each scenario, combining controlled field experiments with real-world installations. For the curve treatment, the team modified the size and spacing of traditional chevron signs to create a perceptual illusion of increased curvature sharpness. This intervention was first tested in a controlled driving experiment and subsequently installed on two highway curves in New York State. For the congestion treatment, the team utilized changeable message boards to display conditional speed messages based on the speed of oncoming traffic. This method was also validated through a controlled field experiment and a real-world test installation on a town roadway. The study draws upon existing literature regarding visual perception, depth cues, and conventional delineation practices to inform the design of these novel visual treatments. The results demonstrated that both interventions successfully influenced driver behavior. In the real-world curve tests, increasing the perceived sharpness of the curvature through modified chevron size and spacing led to a statistically significant reduction in vehicle speeds. Drivers responded to the visual cues by slowing down appropriately for the geometry of the road. Similarly, in the congestion tests, the conditional speed displays prompted drivers to adjust their speeds in response to oncoming traffic conditions. This behavior resulted in a measurable reduction in speed variance, achieving the goal of creating more uniform traffic flow. The controlled experiments corroborated these findings, confirming that the visual treatments had the desired impact on driving speed under both monitored and naturalistic conditions. The significance of this research lies in its demonstration that perceptually based visual cues can be effective tools for traffic management and safety enhancement. The findings suggest that modifying chevron size and spacing is a readily implementable strategy for improving safety at sharp curves. While the results for conditional speed displays are promising, the authors recommend additional limited trials at various congested locations to further understand their broader impact. Overall, the study provides evidence that leveraging visual information to guide driver perception can effectively mitigate risks associated with speeding and speed variability, offering practical solutions for transportation agencies aiming to reduce crash rates.

Key finding

Modifying chevron sign size and spacing to increase perceived curvature sharpness significantly reduced vehicle speeds, while conditional speed displays reduced speed variance at congested locations.

Methodology

field_study

Provenance

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Summary generated by qwen3.6-27b-prismaquant on 2026-06-10; verification: verified.

Topics

Ranked by relevance to this paper. Hover a topic for its definition.

• perceptual countermeasures
• roadway lighting effects
• signage environment
• speed choice
• emergency work zone conspicuity
• rail grade crossings

Information type

What kind of knowledge this paper contributes, grouped by family — independent of topic (what it is about) and method (how it was studied).

• Empirical Findings: behavioral performance data, observational prevalence
• Methodological Resource: dataset resource