Road Users Perception of Dynamic Message Signs And Lane Control Signs

Abstract

The state of Qatar is continuously developing and has been capitalizing enormously in upgrading transportation. The latest upgrade in transportation was the introduction of Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS). Qatar has invested in building an infrastructure for ITS and installing many of its systems, including the Dynamic Message Signs (DMS) and Lane control signs (LCS). These signs have been installed in multiple areas in the city of Doha, the capital of Qatar. However, there have not been many studies in the region about the effectiveness of such system on the driver behavior. The first aim of this study is to capture the public opinion of DMSs in Qatar. The second aim is to evaluate and compare driver behavior between different type of roads and the impact of DMS and LCS on driving behavior. Two methods of data collection were used in this study, an online survey of 402 participants, and a real-life driving experiment of 32 participants in a defined route in Doha city that consists of three sections; arterial roads, freeway with electronic signs, and freeway without electronic signs. Descriptive and hypothesis analysis were conducted. There are number conclusions resulted from the analysis. According to the survey results, most participants find the DMS useful, and are likely to follow the instructions especially for warning messages about construction works and road conditions. With regards to driver behavior, it was found based on the driving experiment results that driver compliance is increased when ITS signs are deployed. Journey comfort is also found to be increased when ITS is implemented.