Exploring travelers' behavior in response to dynamic message signs (DMS) using a driving simulator.

PDFTech ReportMD-13-SP209B4KSP209B4KBehaviorVariable message signsDriving simulatorsOrigin and destinationRoute choiceSpeedTravel timeQuestionnairesUnited StatesMaryland. State Highway Administration. Office of Policy & ResearchJeihani, MansourehArdeshiri, AnamMorgan State UniversityUniversity Transportation Centers Program (U.S.)US Transportation CollectionThis research studies the effectiveness of a dynamic message sign (DMS) using a drivingsimulator. Over 100 subjects from different socio-economic and age groups were recruited todrive the simulator under different traffic and driving conditions and various travel-relatedDMS messages. The subjects drove between a specified pair of origin and destination whilechoosing their own route in a fairly realistic 12 7 12 mi2 (20 7 20 km2) network that includedroad signs, traffic signals, three-dimensional buildings and trees, and other roadside objects.Their driving behavior, including changes in driving speed, route choice and diversion, andtravel time perception in the presence of DMS were studied. In addition to the driving simulatorexperiment, a stated preference analysis was conducted through three sequential surveyquestionnaires. The questionnaire data was utilized to better understand drivers\u2019 perceptions ofthe efficiency-related attributes. The study concluded that DMS is a safe device, since driversdid not reduce their speed significantly to read the DMS contents. Furthermore, quantitativeinformation provided by DMS affected drivers\u2019 route choice significantly and drivers werequite sensitive to travel time change. However, the diversion rate due to a second DMS withqualitative information was much less than what the subjects stated in the survey