Visibility of an in-ground signal when texting while walking

Abstract

An increase in pedestrian accidents associated with smartphone use has been one of the main issues in road traffic safety research and administration. Recently, traffic lights and safety signs embedded in the ground have been introduced, but without sufficient scientific consideration. A laboratory experiment evaluated the visibility of an in-ground signal while varying its contrast and position. Twenty-three participants performed a signal detection task when conducting texting while walking on a treadmill. The signals were displayed randomly onto the ground one at a time at three different positions with three different contrasts levels and moved towards a participant. In results, the approaching signals were detected 1.7 m ~ 2.9 m in front of participants, and there were significant differences in the visibility between contrast levels and positions (p<.01). The findings suggest the importance of proper contrast level and placement when installing in- ground signals for improving their visibility by smartphone users.

A Study on Cognitive Error Validation for LED In-Ground Traffic Lights Using a Digital Twin and Virtual Environment

“…Accordingly, various studies have been conducted to prevent traffic accidents that involve pedestrians [10][11][12][13][14], and LED in-ground traffic lights are a representative example that have actually had a strong effect in preventing accidents [15]. As shown in Figure 1, LED in-ground traffic lights blink in conjunction with the traffic signal, increasing the visibility of general pedestrians and vulnerable road users on the crosswalk during the day and night [16]. In other words, by installing LEDs and communication modules on braille blocks previously existing on crosswalks and streets, these devices serve as a new pedestrian signal.…”