Studies were conducted with a driving simulator and laptop computers to determine the effects of displaying license plate and 10-digit telephone numbers in Amber (America's Missing: Broadcast Emergency Response) alert changeable message sign messages. The first study was conducted using the Texas Transportation Institute driving environment simulator in College Station, Texas. A laboratory study was also conducted in six cities in Texas. It was found that the average reading time for Amber alert messages with a license plate number was significantly longer than for messages without a license plate number. In addition, the majority of subjects were not able to recall the entire number. A license plate number was found to be equivalent to more than three units of information. Thus a message with a license plate number exceeds current effective message design guidelines that specify a maximum of four units of information in a message and a maximum of three units of information in a message phase. Similarly, the average reading time for messages with a 10-digit telephone number is significantly longer than for messages without a telephone number. The majority of subjects were not able to recall the entire number. A telephone number was found to be equivalent to more than three units of information. A message with a 10-digit telephone number exceeds current effective message design guidelines.


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    Title :

    License Plate and Telephone Numbers in Changeable Message Sign Amber Alert Messages


    Additional title:

    Transportation Research Record: Journal of the Transportation Research Board


    Contributors:


    Publication date :

    2007-01-01




    Type of media :

    Article (Journal)


    Type of material :

    Electronic Resource


    Language :

    English




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