Self-explaining roads: Effects of road design on perception and speed choice

Abstract

Since speed is a crucial factor contributing to car accidents, one of the greatest potentials for improving road safety lies in reducing driving speed (Aarts and van Schagen, 2006). Conventional measures such as speed limits and law enforcement have their merit but also limitations. A complementary measure to achieve speed reduction is based on the concept of self-explaining roads (SER; Theeuwes & Godthelp, 1995). The concept postulates that road design impacts speed choice based on psychological factors of perception. Previous research has demonstrated the impact of road design on speed choice for a limited number of road design features (e.g. curves, road width). Furthermore, existing research only offers limited insights into the psychological mechanisms driving these effects. Therefore, this experimental study, first, aims to the impact of several novel road features on speed choice. Second, it analyses the underlying psychological mechanisms, explaining the effects of road design on speed choice.