Threshold sizes for accurate identification were determined for three different types of highway signs (text, icon, and modified icon) under two conditions of horizontal target motion (60° and 120° per second). The two iconic versions were superior to the text version in nearly all cases, and this benefit of the pictorial format was even more pronounced in the higher-velocity condition. The advantage of the modified icon signs over the standard icon signs that had been determined in previous work was replicated here under the low-velocity condition but essentially disappeared under the higher-velocity condition. Sign-reading performance was found to be related to dynamic visual acuity (with Landolt-C targets) under the two velocity conditions. Results are discussed in terms of the “low-pass format” for sign design suggested by previous researchers and in terms of the potential utility of dynamic acuity for the driving setting.
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