case study

Effects of Varying Messaging Signs

A study on how changing the wording on varying messaging signs (VMS) can affect drivers’ behaviour based on what message is displayed.

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A company wanted to see if the varying messaging signs (VMS) they used had an effect on driver behaviour. To do so, they would need to be able to see car movement before, during, and after every time the signs change. The messages compared were “breakdown ahead” and “crash ahead”.

By using connected vehicle data, car movement could be analysed. This included speed, g-force, braking and accelerating. The company found that wording did have an effect on drivers with “crash ahead” having effects on speeds while “breakdown ahead” had barely any.

The results before, during (1 hour increment), and after making the varying messaging sign say "breakdown ahead".

The results of "crash ahead" compared to "breakdown ahead". Speeds during the activation of "crash ahead" decrease showing the effectiveness of the changes in words.

The data shows that “crash ahead” was more effective on drivers than “breakdown ahead”. The average, median, and 85th percentile speed all dropped during the activation of “crash ahead”. “Breakdown ahead” was found to have no effect and in some cases, cars would speed up or drive at faster speeds.

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Use cases

How our customers are using Connected Vehicle data

Applications of vehicle-generated data for use cases across state-wide freight modelling, origin-destination studies, VMS signage effectiveness, road safety, and local area traffic management.