The Human Factors of Transport Signs [Hardcover]

Candida Castro (Editor), Tim Horberry (Editor)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0415310865 | ISBN-13: 978-0415310864 | Publication Date: April 16, 2004 | Edition: 1

The ubiquitous nature of transport signs on roadways, railways, and in airports can lead to an overload of visual information, yet little research has been done to understand the design and use of such signs from a driver’s perspective.

The Human Factors of Transport Signs explores key transport sign research and examines new technologies that are revolutionizing signaling. While concentrating largely on the road environment and general signing issues, the authors also address specific railway and other transport modality topics. International contributors discuss driver psychology and interaction with transport signs as well as the strengths and weaknesses of different types of signs.

This text is designed to be an easily-accessible information source for professionals in transportation design, highway engineering, applied psychology, and human factors, as well as for students preparing to enter these fields.

Features:

Summarizes the main findings about transport signs into an easily-accessible resource

Covers transport signs in the road, rail, and aviation fields

Reviews new technology in the field, including Variable Message Signs and Intelligent Transport Systems

Discusses the main evidence detailing the interaction of transport signs and driver behavior

Product Details

• Hardcover: 372 pages
• Publisher: CRC Press; 1 edition (April 16, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0415310865
• ISBN-13: 978-0415310864
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.3 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,489,545 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Thorough and Detailed...But Incomplete, March 17, 2005

By 

Trevor Doyle "Chief Information Officer" (Washington, DC) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Human Factors of Transport Signs (Hardcover)

The gist of this book is that insufficient industry consensus and a poor use of the research that's been done on transportation signage to date, means that new knowledge isn't being put to use effectively. Readers will get the impression that more participation by Human Factors professionals in the design and deployment of next generation of signage would alleviate such shortcomings significantly.

Adequately supported with citations, historical references and empirical evidence, it's a good primer for academics, stakeholders and practitioners. Drawing lessons from research as recent as 1999, it traces the evolution of the industry from its early beginnings to today.

Authored by scholars and subject matter experts, the writing styles use plain English and minimal jargon- supporting easy comprehension and learning. The editors managed to compile the scholarly work of several credible researchers on the subject while compressing such work into a new work that targets the Human Factors practitioner as well as transport signage stakeholders. We are invited to ponder both present day as well as future challenges in the evolving transportation paradigms.

While the chapters are a rich resource, little mention is drawn to research methods- making it less useful as a `how-to' textbook than it is as background and reference reading material.
The editors walk readers through the transportation signage topography- covering ground with respect to an understanding of the intricacies of signage design and applications as well as end-user characteristics, standards issues and numerous cultural, legal and technological factors.

Chapters are organized in reference to: end users, design, development and deployment - as well as to the obvious domain categories such as railroad, airport and motorway signage. Conspicuously absent are discussions of nautical and pedestrian signage. The latter, is a surprising omission, considering the number of people that depend on depots, underground transit stations and airports to get around. One might well assume that the self-propelled traveler isn't part of the rubric of transport in its strictest sense. The intermediation of vehicles must be a traditional component of human factors and an implied requisite component of modern transportation and it's signage.

Readers should become excited at the opportunities for signage improvement suggested by this book. At the same time, they may also become exasperated at the hurdles blocking transportation signage standardization and improvement on a global scale. That may well be the point. Action needs to be taken and soon at that- well before transportation and traffic management becomes more nightmarish than it already must be. Considering the added risks faced by emergency responders and managers- the world is ready for 21st Century solutions to an ancient challenge. This book is a good wake up call to those entrusted with the design and deployment of our transportation signs.