Effect of Road Markings and Traffic Signs Presence on Young Driver Stress Level, Eye Movement and Behaviour in Night-Time Conditions: A Driving Simulator Study

Abstract

The study investigates how the presence of traffic signalling elements (road markings and traffic signs) affects the behaviour of young drivers in night-time conditions. Statistics show that young drivers (≤30 years old) are often involved in road accidents, especially those that occur in night-time conditions. Among other factors, this is due to lack of experience, overestimation of their ability or the desire to prove themselves. A driving simulator scenario was developed for the purpose of the research and 32 young drivers took two runs using it: (a) one containing no road markings and traffic signs and (b) one containing road markings and traffic signs. In addition to the driving simulator, eye tracking glasses were used to track eye movement and an electrocardiograph was used to monitor the heart rate and to determine the level of stress during the runs. The results show statistically significant differences (dependent samples t-test) between the two runs concerning driving speed, lateral position of the vehicle, and visual scanning of the environment. The results prove that road markings and traffic signs provide the drivers with timely and relevant information related to the upcoming situation, thus enabling them to adjust their driving accordingly. The results are valuable to road authorities and provide an explicit confirmation of the importance of traffic signalling for the behaviour of young drivers in night-time conditions, and thus for the overall traffic safety.

Influence of Wider Longitudinal Road Markings on Vehicle Speeds in Two-Lane Rural Highways

“…As no similar studies have been found, making it impossible to compare the results obtained, it can be stated that the speed-reduction effect of the wider marks seen here is in line with the results of somewhat similar experiments about the effects of longitudinal speed reduction markings [26,27], and the consequences of implementing, or not, longitudinal road markings [29][30][31]. The speed-reducing effect may contribute to a reduction in the number of accidents associated with the implementation of wider longitudinal road markings [9,25,28] or the narrowing of lanes [6].…”

“…The results indicated that speeds decreased in both edgeline and centerline applications; regarding lateral positions, the edgelines were associated with shifting the driving trajectories towards the center of the road, and the centerlines were associated with shifting the driving trajectories towards the road edges. Babic et al [31] investigated how the presence of traffic signaling elements affects the behavior of young drivers in night-time conditions. A driving simulator with two scenarios was used: one containing no road markings and no traffic signs, and one containing road markings and traffic signs.…”

Driver Behavior Classification: A Systematic Literature Review

“…Papers [33], [34], and [35] classified driver behavior as positive and negative. The paper [33] presents a mobile application called "Project Drive" that bridges the gap between detecting negative driver behavior and motivating users to safer driver behavior.…”

Development of a New Procedure for Assessing Road Signs Maintenance Priorities for the Tuscan Road Network

“…Therefore, one of the most cost-effective, and often underestimated, ways to increase road safety would be measures to improve road signage elements, such as road signs and markings. In fact, since the cognitive processes of decision-making while driving are mainly based on visual inputs (the driver visually receives more than 90% of the information while driving), road safety depends mainly on the timeliness of the information the driver receives, which is mostly transmitted by road signs and road markings (Babic, Babic, Cajner, et al, 2020). Hence, providing clear and readable travel routes allows for safer and more comfortable driving and lower accident rates (Mosböcka & Burghardt, 2016).…”