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RESEARCH PRODUCT

Reading traffic signs while driving: Are linguistic word properties relevant in a complex, dynamic environment?

subject

description

When driving a vehicle, do we read the words displayed on traffic signs just as we do in more standard conditions? In the driving context, stimulus quality is generally worse, and reading has to be performed at the same time as we are doing other tasks. In the present work, we examined the effects of word frequency and word length on reading in such circumstances. A stimulus presentation mimicking the approach to the traffic sign increased the effect of word frequency, but not the effect of word length, on reading latency. In addition, performing the reading task while driving along a simulated route produced similar results. Therefore, in the context of the driving activity, the advantage of high-frequency over low-frequency words seems to be even more relevant than in standard conditions. Traffic sign designers can consider these results when deciding the most appropriate word in a variable message sign.