title: Traffic management: Assessing various countermeasures to improve detection failure of changes in speed limit signals.
abstract: Under certain circumstances, drivers fail to notice changes in electronic speed limits. A video-based study was performed to reveal which countermeasures would improve drivers' ability to detect changes in electronic speed limits. Countermeasures included leaving electronic signs blank prior to a speed limit change and adding motion signals by means of flashing amber lights or a wave. A video representing a motorway was shown repeatedly to 255 participants. They were instructed to press the space bar when detecting a change. The video was viewed 13 times before the speed limit changed. Results showed that leaving signs blank prior to the change instead of displaying speed limits continuously did not alter change detection, whereas flashers and waves eroded detection of the changed speed limit. This suggests that using flashers and waves to attract attention to electronic signs in fact decreases people's ability to process the information contained in the signs.
authors.affiliation: University of Groningen, Traffic Psychology Group, Neuropsychology, Grote Kruisstraat 2/1, 9712 TS, Groningen, The Netherlands; Connecting Mobility, Rijkswaterstaat, Ministry of Infrastructure and the Environment, P.O. Box 2232, 3500 GE, Utrecht, The Netherlands. Electronic address: i.m.harms@rug.nl.
authors.forename: Ilse M
authors.initials: IM
authors.lastname: Harms
authors.affiliation: University of Groningen, Traffic Psychology Group, Neuropsychology, Grote Kruisstraat 2/1, 9712 TS, Groningen, The Netherlands. Electronic address: k.a.brookhuis@rug.nl.
authors.forename: Karel A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Brookhuis
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001288:Attention; D001334:Automobile Driving / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000523:psychology*; D001364:Awareness; D003463:Cues; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008570:Memory, Short-Term; D008875:Middle Aged; D011930:Reaction Time; D013647:Task Performance and Analysis; D014741:Video Recording; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Change blindness; Flasher; Variable speed limit