A study on the design of the Philippine regulatory road signs based on drivers characteristics ergonomic designs based on drivers characteristics, ergonomic design principles and comprehension

• Main Authors: Brucal, Dominique Marlowe M., Canuto, Alyssa Louise D., Garcia, Camille Ann T.
• Format: text
• Published: Animo Repository 2013
• Online Access: https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/etd_bachelors/11008
• Institution: De La Salle University

Yearly, an average of 1.3 million people is killed and 50 million are injured due to road accidents (Ericksson , 2004). To address this, road signs are created to provide guideline, warnings and information on road-user to promote road safety. Thus, they have to effectively communicate to their readers by clearly delivering the messages they contain through their well-understood design. If signs fail to serve their purpose, safety is compromised. Given that misleading and misunderstood road signs contribute to road accidents and traffic violations around the world, identifying factors that contribute to how road-users comprehend the signs meaning could help address accident occurrence. The primary objective of this study is to identify relationships between comprehensions, driving characteristics (license type and years of active driving) and ergonomic principles of designs to determine significant factors that contribute to the overall effectiveness of the road sign. This is achieved through the assessment of Regulatory road signs in the Philippines. Road signs were first streamlined to signs that failed the 85% passing grade set by ANSI. A total of 96 respondents were then asked to identify the meaning of the 20 remaining signs together with their subjective ratings on the signs compliance to the principles. Employing Spearman correlation, Analysis of Variance and Beta Coefficient statistical tests, relationships were achieved and results shot that both years of active driving and license type are insignificant factors. Regardless of how many years the driver has been actively driving and no matter what license he holds, comprehension performance will not significantly differ. On the other hand, all ergonomic principles of design (spatial compatibility, conceptual compatibility, physical representation, familiarity and standardization) are found to be significant in determining comprehension performance of road-users denoting that higher compliance of sign to the principles leads to higher comprehension level and lower comprehension time of drivers. All yielded relationship then paved way for the redesigning of road signs. Three alternatives were created per sign, and selection of final design was made using a decision analysis tool (KTDA). New signs were validated to ensure significant improvement in compliance to ergonomic principles and comprehension performance or readers. As a result, all 20 proposed signs were able to gain significantly higher compliance ratings. All signs then demonstrated substantial improvements in terms of the comprehension level. From the least percentage growth of 43%, improvement has reached the highest level of 9200%. Proposed signs also enabled road-users to easily comprehend the intended message in a shorter span of time as comprehension time for all signs exhibited more than 50% improvement, reaching a maximum level of 70%. Redesigned signs were able to give much importance on icons ensuring that those incorporated in the design completely represent the object they stand for and are parallel to the perceived meaning of the reader. From the assessment and comparison of current signs with redesign ones, DPWH representatives recognize the improvement and said that signs are acceptable as they can be understood and grasped correctly given the short span of time when seen in the road. In terms of implementation, redesign signs are found to be feasible as the icons comprise of basic shapes thus will make it possible and easier for the designer to sketch the proposed roads sign designs. According to DPWH, suggested modification are to be included in the revision of the 2015 Manual of Road Signs & Pavement Markings and will undergo respective cost discussions.