Driver's Perception of Self-Explained Road Infrastructure and Architecture

Theoretical studies of the current knowledge on self-explaining road (SER) concept and its implementation into road design research and design practices led to the design of a study in which SER markings on the road were used to alert drivers of hazardous locations. The study designed a graphical model of a virtual road and road environment with graphic information system in line with the SER concept. Evaluation tests the driver performance in simulated road environments, comparing SER with non-SER road scenes. The dual evaluation consisted of a subjective assessment of the visual road environment and also objective evaluation of driving performance in the fully animated environment in a high fidelity driving simulator. The main goal of the project was to test the safety effects of applying the SER concept to road design. The results show the potential capabilities of applying simulation and visualization of the designed road view as a way of making improvements in traffic safety.