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.