Game on: Video game study tests dynamic message signs

Dynamic message signs inform drivers of traffic and weather conditions and aim to promote safe driving habits as well as to help reduce fatal crashes.

Messages on dynamic message signs span from straightforward safety reminders or informative ones to those that have nontraditional tones — humorous, serious or containing pop culture references.

But which types of messages are most effective and for which behaviors?

That’s the question Illinois Center for Transportation and Illinois Department of Transportation seek to answer in a joint project, R27-SP55: Effects of Nontraditional Messages in Dynamic Message Signs on Improving Safety, Compliance and Avoiding Distraction.

Yanfeng Ouyang, CEE George Krambles Endowed Professor, leads the six-month special project with Sean Martschinke, IDOT’s Bureau Chief of Programs, Projects and Safety Outreach.

Ouyang and Martschinke aim to determine the effectiveness of these different types of messages on specific driver behaviors in Illinois and provide guidance on adjusting IDOT’s messaging accordingly.

“The project is really trying to determine what type of message resonates or ‘sticks’ the most,” Martschinke said. “What type of messaging is effective and on what type of behaviors, and how do we adjust our (IDOT’s) messaging accordingly?”

To investigate these questions, Ouyang’s team developed an online video game to gather experimental data on players between the ages of 18 and 30.

The game, created by CEE doctoral student Yuhui Zhai, simulates real-life driving conditions on a four-lane freeway.

Players are positioned inside a vehicle and can control when to speed up, slow down, brake or change lanes, all while being exposed to various dynamic message signs and the option to take phone calls, send text messages or listen to music.

The researchers instructed the players to drive for at least three minutes, during which they recorded the players’ keyboard actions.

“We can control everything behind the game — the type of messages, the frequency, the ambient traffic environment, and so on — and collect data.” Ouyang said. “We collect drivers’ subjective recollection of what happened via a post-game questionnaire. We also record their actual activities throughout the game, such as speeding up and slowing down behavior before and after the time a message was shown.”

After completing the simulation, players reported their opinions of the dynamic message signs encountered as well as their self-reported driving behaviors and sociodemographic information.

In the exploratory experiments, Ouyang’s team found nontraditional messages were generally effective overall in altering the participants’ behavior and that participants remembered them well.

They found the most effective messaging tone for decreasing speed and discouraging honking (avoid humor), discouraging speeding (use emotionless), reducing calling and texting frequency (use humor), and encouraging seat belt use (use negative).

“For IDOT, the project will impact what messages we display around what topics,” Martschinke said. “It’s adjusting our messaging on these signs to what at least this small-scale research shows is impactful.”

“Our hope, though, based on this research, is that we will see better driving habits from the general public because of how we’ll adjust,” he added.