Role of drivers' personal characteristics in understanding traffic sign symbols

This study investigated the role of age, marital status, gender, nationality, educational background and monthly income in drivers' comprehension of traffic signs. The populations sampled here were from five Arabian Gulf Countries. A total of 28 symbolic warning and regulatory signs were investigated. A questionnaire specially prepared to collect the necessary data was distributed to over 9000 drivers in the five countries; 4774 responded (53%). The results indicated substantial problems with the level of comprehension among the drivers about the traffic signs. The percentages of drivers who correctly identified the regulatory signs and warning signs were around 55 and 56%, respectively. Age, gender, education and income played major roles in determining drivers' comprehension of signs, whereas marital status showed no significant effect. Drivers who are young, female, those with lower levels of education or lower incomes understand the signs significantly worse than drivers who are older, male, with higher levels of education or higher incomes. Drivers from Europe and USA are significantly better than Asian and Arab drivers. These findings are believed to be important for the designers of road signs for international applications. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.