Developing an Attention Framework for Road Sign Design

Assessment using the Principle of Emphasis

Muhammad Helmy Bin Emran

1, 2

, Azhar Abd. Jamil

and Zainuddin Ibrahim

Faculty of Art and Design, Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM), Malaysia

Faculty of Information and Communication Technology, Universiti Teknikal Malaysia Melaka, Malaysia

Keywords: Visual Principles, Road Sign, Design and Development Research.

Abstract: Graphic design has been proven to have an impact on human perception in areas such as consumerism. One

would argue that a similar impact could exist in the area of transportation as well. The main objective of this

research is to determine the factors that influence human attention in responding to visual cues. This was

accomplished by exploring human attention from the point of view of design principle and feature

integrated theory. As attention is the first process that occurs in the human cognitive process after visual

stimulation happens, it is crucial to define the factors that contribute towards the stimulation to road sign

design. Using Design and Development Research (DDR) approaches, this study involved three phases

which were needs analysis, development, and evaluation. Methods such as interview, Fuzzy Delphi and

Expert Review were also used. This research aims to establish a framework that consists of several design

principles and visual elements that are accountable for the visual attention of motorists. This research

findings are expected to contribute towards Malaysia Road Safety 2014-2020 Plan, specifically in the

second pillar as well as Safer Road and Mobility programme and stimulate many research interests

involving design principles in the transportation area of the future.

1 INTRODUCTION

As one of the oldest safety and traffic control

equipment (Kazemi et al. 2016) road signs assist

road users in terms of giving orders, warning,

directions, and information (Ezeibe et al. 2018). An

effective road sign is the one which commands

attention, communicate a simple meaning and give

sufficient time to road users to make a proper

response (Bañares et al. 2018). Starting from

establishing attention to influencing viewers’

responses, road sign designers aim to create

effective road sign designs using design principles as

guidance. Fundamental theories in design claim that

emphasis is a principle that is responsible for

attracting viewers’ attention (A. Lauer & Pentak

2012; Graham 2002).

Bearing this in mind, this research will analyse

the connection between the emphasis on the design

principles and school road signs design at selected

school within Klang Valley. Thorough studies will

be conducted on how school road signs successfully

attract drivers’ attention. The study will also

measure the level of design standardisation

application of the school road signs, in the hope of

establishing evidence that ineffective road signs are

one of the factors that caused road accidents in

Klang Valley.

The intention of this study is to examine road

sign designs in relation to news reporting of road

accidents, especially involving school children.

Although the news reports about road accidents may

be regarded as another ordinary news to Malaysians,

mail from Bukit Aman Traffic Investigation and

Enforcement Department (Jabatan Siasatan dan

Penguatkuasaan Trafik Bukit Aman (JSPTBA)),

indicated that the total number of road accident

deaths was as high as 6570 in 2016. As the rate of

death per 100,000 population in the same year was

24 people, the number of road fatalities resulted in

Malaysia being ranked as one of the top countries

with high road accident death when compared with

similar income nation in the world, behind

Kazakhstan and Libya. This was worsened by the

fact that road traffic deaths involving road users

below 20 years old in Malaysia formed 24% of the

total number of road accident deaths in 2017 (World

Health Organization 2015).

Helmy Bin Emran, M., Jamil, A. and Ibrahim, Z.

Developing an Attention Framework for Road Sign Design Assessment using the Principle of Emphasis.

DOI: 10.5220/0008527201010111

In Proceedings of the 1st International Conference on Intermedia Arts and Creative Technology (CREATIVEARTS 2019), pages 101-111

ISBN: 978-989-758-430-5

101

As example, on 21 February 2018, two school

pupils were hit by a car in front of Sekolah

Kebangsaan Santong Paka in Dungun, Terengganu.

The incident happened in the morning (Ilham 2018).

Another fatal accident involved a year two student

of Sekolah Kebangsaan Air Baruk, Melaka who was

hit by a car on 4th January 2018. Mohammad Faris

Zakwan Zainuddin was dragged for 15 meters under

a Proton Iswara driven by the school’s general

worker (Koh 2018).

2 PROBLEM STATEMENT

Human plays a crucial role in road accidents (Janpla

et al. 2015) as speeding was blamed as the major

cause of the problem (Bham & Leu 2018; Ezeibe et

al. 2018; Zhao et al. 2016). Hence, a serious effort

should be taken to understand human factors in

relation to road safety such as suggested by Dr. Ir.

Muhammad Marizwan Bin Abdul Manan from the

Malaysian Institute of Road Safety Research

(MIROS). In his presentation on Motorcycle Crashes

in Malaysia: Status, Risk Factors, and Interventions,

one of his suggestions for future research was to

study the Motorcycle Behaviour at Pedestrian

Crossing (Abdul Manan 2015). This is given the fact

that most schools in the country have its road

crossing for a safety measure for pedestrians.

Many researchers are in agreement about the

importance of road signs as a countermeasure to

reduce the occurrence of road accidents. Zhao et al.

(2016) emphasised on the need to place special

signage to alert drivers within the surroundings of

the schools since the findings of their studies

indicated that certain road devices might improve

driving performance and road safety.

According to Bañares et al. (2018), a good road

sign is capable of attracting attention from road

users to communicate the message before the next

process follow suit. Commanding attention is the

second principle stated in the United States of

America’s Manual on Uniform Traffic Control

Devices as a guideline when addressing road sign

and other traffic control devices application (Federal

Highway Administration 2009). Similar principles

can be seen applied to the Malaysian general

principles of traffic sign where the signs should be

conspicuous in order to attract driver’s attention

(Public Works Department of Malaysia 1985).

Effective road sign helps save lives. The problem

will occur when road users fail to pay attention to

road signs (Bin et al. 2013). Several factors has been

recognised as the reasons for inattention such as

information overload (Kaplan et al. 2018; Kazemi et

al. 2016; Topolšek et al. 2016), not enough contrast

between the road signs and the environment (Bin et

al. 2013) as well as the drivers’ age (Zahabi et al.

2017).

The efforts to understand the psychology of

attention had been initiated more than one hundred

years ago as seen in a research conducted by

Johansson and Backlund in 1970 about the

relationship between road signs and attention (Costa

et al. 2018). They tested the attention of the drivers

by evaluating their memories of road signs seen by

the participants as they passed these signs. Shinar

and Drory (1983) confirmed the results obtained by

Johansson and Backlund when they conducted a

similar study with different respondents. Other

research in this area included Costa et al. (2014)

who evaluated the attention given to vertical road

signs and Kazemi et al. (2016) regarding the level of

attention given to urban road signs.

Using a systematic literature review, the

researcher found the lack of research papers

published regarding the relationship between

attention and road signs in regards to design

principles. There are some elements such as space

(Liu & Wang 2013; Tejero et al. 2018b) and contrast

(Rahman & Strawderman 2015) on paper, but as

much as visual principles are concerned as there are

more properties to scrutinise. In this case, visual

factors contributing to attention stimulation should

be scrutinised from an art and design perspective.

Additionally, in the second pillar of the Malaysia

Road Safety 2014-2010 Plan which is safer road and

mobility, the Malaysian government aimed to

regularly re-evaluate the standards and rules

regarding road safety issues (Road Safety

Department of Malaysia 2014)

Since design principles affect human attention,

the researcher believes that by systematically

investigating this matter, it would contribute to a

better understanding of road sign design in the

future.

3 LITERATURE REVIEW

3.1 Design Principles

The study about how individual part in an artwork

can influence the whole visual perception of human

was conducted by Christian von Ehrenfels in his

essay titled On 'Gestalt Qualities (Smith 1988).

Later, a group of physiologists namely Max

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102

Wertheimer, Wolfgang Kohler, and Kurt Koffka

extended the theory. Gestalt theory involves the

principles of similarity, continuation, focal point,

figure-ground, belongingness, balance, proximity,

common fate, and closure.

Table 1: Design Principles list.

Visual Principles

Authors

a b c d e f g

Balance x x x x x x x

Unit

x x x x x

Emphasis

x x x x x

x x x x x x

Variet

x x x

Hierarch

x x

Dominance

x x

Proportion

x x x x x x

Scale

x x x x

Movemen

x x

Repetition

x x x x

Contras

x x x x

Ali

nmen

Flow

Harmon

x x

Econom

Proximit

x x

Similarity

Continuit

Closure

x x

Common Fate

Continuin

Line

Visual Linkin

Elaboration

Focal Poin

a = Ocvirk et al. (1998). b = Graham (2002). c =

Prust (2003). d = Pipes (2008). e = Landa (2011). f =

A. Lauer & Pentak (2012). g = Evans & Thomas

(2013)

Table 1 shows the analysis of various modern

design principles established by several references.

It can be seen that some of the Gestalt principles

mentioned previously had been absorbed as part of

design principles by these authors. The list was

made of a combination of the main and secondary

principles. Based on the list, the researcher made a

comparative analysis. Even though some of the

terms carry similar meaning, they were maintained

as they are for later analysis. There is no exact

number of principle elements agreed by these

theorists, but we can see the similarity in the

meaning and intention after reading the details.

Another comparison was also made by the

researcher to examine the link between viewers’

perceptual effects of these principles as suggested by

the theorists. It was found that emphasis was the

main element needed for establishing a focal point

(Evans & Thomas 2013; Landa 2011; Pipes 2008)

and grabbing viewers’ attention (A. Lauer & Pentak

2012; Graham 2002). Other design principles such

as balance, created a pleasing composition effect

(Graham, 2002) while unity tended to make the

whole design solution look like one entity (Pipes

2008; Prust 2003).

3.2 Defining Attentions.

Attention is a noun used to describe the

concentration of the mind on something. It also

carries the meaning of bringing something to

knowledge (Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka 2018).

Hornby (2000) in Oxford Fajar dictionary gave four

definitions of attention. It is an action where

someone is applying his or her mind to something or

someone. It is also defined as an act of taking special

care of something or someone. The third definition

is a kind of thoughtful action of a person, and the

last definition is a drill position, where a soldier

standing upright with feet together and arms

stretched downwards. The definition given by these

two dictionaries conveys a shared meaning. This is

in comparison with a more precise interpretation of

the term attention given by psychologists.

James (1890), a psychologist, defined the term

attention as holding in control clearly and vividly

one thought out of several thoughts that have been

concurrently stimulated. The clearness of the

sensory process was defined by Titchener and

Wundt (Kazdin 2000). Attention is part of cognitive

psychology (Kellogg, 2003) and one of the

important aspects when someone is driving (Tejero

et al. 2018a). This theory can be visualised by

looking at the information-processing model of

memory (Watts & Lazarus 2008) presented in Figure

Figure 1: Information-processing model of memory

(Watts & Lazarus 2008).

Developing an Attention Framework for Road Sign Design Assessment using the Principle of Emphasis

103

Attention activity happens after the stimuli

become registered by the sensory. Many of the

stimuli perceived daily by people will be lost from

the memory system without further processing or

saved in the storage. In order to response to the

stimuli, a person must first give attention to it. An

important stimulus should be able to grab the

attention of the viewer because it usually happens at

the early stage of the human memory system.

Giving attention to visual cue can be explained

using the Visual Attention Theory. Kellogg (2003)

described attention as a beam of a spotlight and he

later segregated attention into two categories which

are selective attention and divided attention.

Selective attention occurs when an adjacent stimulus

is ignored, focusing the attention only on a small

diameter of highlight compared to divided attention

where adjacent stimuli get some processing such a

diffused beam of the spotlight.

While inattention is the antonyms of attention

(Merriam-Webster 2018), a study found that 93% of

vehicle collisions and minor accidents were

contributed from inattention while driving (Dingus

et al., 2006). Inattention can be caused by being

distracted by a secondary task such as driving-

related activities that prevent the driver from looking

forward. These activities include drowsiness and

non-driving related eye glances. This study’s finding

is in line with the claim made by Bin et al. (2013)

who argued that inattention is one of the main

factors that instigate road accidents and assertion by

Malaysian Minister of Transport, Datuk P.

Kamalanathan that drivers do not look at warning

signs (Bernama, 2016).

There are a number of factors why drivers fail to

pay optimal attention to the driving activity from the

perspective of psychology. These factors can be

divided into two categories: endogenous and

exogenous factors (Underwood et al., 2003). High

workload causes reduced cognitive resources

making drivers fall short of using their existing

knowledge to expect hazard to intrude into the

current road environment in an endogenous factor.

The exogenous factor is when the road user fails to

attend to sudden changes in the visual field such as

an object moving into the field of view. As a road

sign can be a visual cue for reminding road users to

allocate a certain amount of attention towards

possible hazards to come in the context of the

endogenous factor, this study aims to improve the

driver’s attention factor towards the road sign.

3.3 Road Signs

Paying attention to the road environment is very

crucial, and road sign helps the driver to perform

better during the driving activity. A good road sign

will give hints to drivers about what to expect on the

road ahead, and it has the capability to change a

driver’s attitude when approaching a certain area. It

also should help the driver to anticipate in advance

any unexpected situation ahead (Wickens et al.

2004). (Cian et al. 2015) added that how the content

is presented can help the driver to evaluate better

and change his/her behaviour accordingly.

Conspicuous road signs also can stimulate the

attention of the driver and consequently improve

his/her comprehension of the surroundings (Kaplan

et al. 2018).

The role of effective road sign installations in

reducing traffic accident has been proven as reported

by the International Road Federation in 2006. Their

data indicated that there was a 41% decrement in the

road rate of accidents in the United Kingdom as a

result of effective road sign installations (Ezeibe et

al. 2018). United Nations Economic and Social

Council (1968) in the Vienna Convention on Road

Signs and Signals also claimed that the installation

of three road sign categories helped to reduce the

rate of road accidents. These road sign categories

included the danger warning signs, regulatory signs,

and informative signs. Within these categories, there

were subcategories of signs that were employed to

help drivers be alert of the road environment. In the

local context, installing road sign has been suggested

besides imposing a speed limit and providing

awareness to help reduce road accident (Hassan

2018; Mohamed et al. 2011).

Figure 2: Layout design as suggested by Public Works

Department of Malaysia (1985).

Jabatan Kerja Raya Malaysia (JKR) or Public

Works Department of Malaysia has imposed

standard guidelines for sign installations for various

road conditions. Figure 2 shows a guideline for the

layout template for a road sign with text and Figure

3 illustrates a school road sign installation guide.

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Figure 3: The location of school signs as suggested by

Public Works Department of Malaysia (1985)

Various research had been conducted to

investigate how road users interact with road signs.

These research can be divided according to the

stages of the road user and road sign interaction

process. The processes could be segregated

according to the stimulate, recognise and read,

decision-making and behave stages (Bin et al. 2013).

This segregation is in alignment with the

information-processing model of memory (Watts &

Lazarus 2008) in Figure 1.

Figure 4: Stages of driver’s responses to road signs (Bin

et al. 2013).

With reference to Figure 4, the road sign in F

initiates the attention-grabbing process at the first

stage (A), then the driver should be able to read and

recognise the message in Stage Two (B to C). Later,

the driver will have to make a decision in Stage

Three (C to E) and finally execute the decision in the

form of a response at the behave stage (E). The

claim made by Bin et al. (2013) is in line with the

suggestion by Bañares et al. (2018) that grabbing

attention from the driver is the first process before

other processes happen.

3.4 Road Accident Reality in Malaysia

Malaysia’s fatality rate per population of 100,000 is

twenty-four people; it is one of the highest fatality

rates in the world and six times greater than

Singapore (World Health Organization 2015).

Brunei, which is another high-income nation within

the ASEAN region with a significantly low fatality

rate of 5.8 in 2004 (Center MIROS-ASEAN Road

Safety, 2016). The Malaysian rate of road fertility is

considerably high and time is running out for

Malaysia since the World Bank predicts that

Malaysia will become a high-income nation as early

as 2024 (Bernama 2018).

Table 2: ASEAN countries road fatality rate by income

group (Center MIROS-ASEAN Road Safety 2016).

Fatalities

per 100,000

population

Low

Income

Middle

Income

High

Income

Low (<10)

Brunei

Singapore

Medium

(10-15)

Philippines

Laos PDR

High (>15)

Cambodia

Myanmar

Indonesia

Malaysia

Thailand

Vietnam

Figure 5: Cases of fatal road accident in Malaysia fro

2008 to 2018.

The number of road accident fatalities in

Malaysia is relatively consistent from 2009 until

2017 with more than 6000 deaths, as JSPTBA

confirmed in Figure 5. More scientific studies

should be conducted to tackle this problem so more

lives can be saved effectively.

Developing an Attention Framework for Road Sign Design Assessment using the Principle of Emphasis

105

Figure 6: Road accident fatalities in Malaysia based on

age.

Figure 6 illustrates the number of people

involved in fatal accidents based on age in recent

years. The peak age for deaths caused by road

accidents is between sixteen to twenty years old. In

2018, children and teenager group constitute 24% of

the overall sum involved in fatal road accidents. The

population from this age group are those who still go

to school in Malaysia, from pre-school until to the

Upper Sixth Form or just starting their college life.

With 154,958 cases of road accidents that

occurred in 2017, Selangor has become the highest

contributor to road accident cases in Malaysia, as

presented in Figure 7. Johor and Kuala Lumpur

come after that with more than 70,000 cases.

Compared to the Road Safety Department of

Malaysia's (2018) report, this graft is consistent with

the number of registered vehicles in each state with

Kuala Lumpur recording 6,328,245 registered

vehicle followed by Johor and Selangor. Since

Kuala Lumpur is situated inside Selangor, we can

assume that the Klang Valley has the highest amount

of road accidents and the utmost number of vehicles.

Figure 7: Road accident rates in Malaysia in 2017 based

on states.

In terms of factors influencing road accidents,

Malaysian statistical results show no difference from

the rest of the world. Accidents caused by speeding

(32.8%), careless driving (28.2%) and careless

overtaking (15.1%) have been the most significant

contributing factor. The driver’s behaviour is the

major cause of road accidents, contributing up to

76.1% of all the causes of road accidents (Redhwan

& Karim 2010).

4 CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK

Figure 8: Three different knowledge resources combine

to establish this research platform.

This research framework is based on three

knowledge sources as defined in Figure 8, which are

Design Principles; Cognitive Psychology and road

sign design policy from Malaysia Government and

international institution. Independent variables will

be encapsulated from Design Principles as suggested

by two selected sources, Landa (2011) and (Ocvirk

et al. 1998) shown in Figure 9. Understanding

attention psychology and experimental methodology

for this study will be referring to previous

established visual attention study such as Feature

Integration Theory (Treisman & Galade 1980).

Resources for Malaysian road sign design will be

coming from government documentation such as

Arahan Teknik (Jalan) 2A/85: Manual on Traffic

Control Devices (Public Works Department of

Malaysia 1985a).

Figure 9: Theoritical emphasis concept defined by Landa

(2011) and dominance concept by Ocvirk et al. (1998).

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Figure 10: Research methods employed in this study.

5 OBJECTIVES

In order to develop the attention framework to

enable road sign assessment, this study has three

objectives:

i) To identify the requirement in developing a

framework for visual attention evaluation in terms of

the link between school road sign designs and the

emphasis design principle.

ii) To determine the related visual attention

analysis framework elements based on the emphasis

design principles from the perspective and

consensus of design experts.

iii) To propose an attention competency

framework for the school road sign design for

drivers based on the emphasis design principles.

These objectives are aligned with the Design and

Development Research (DDR) methodology that

will be explained later.

6 METHOD OF STUDY

Using the Type Two Design and Development

Research (DDR) methodology as suggested by

(Richey & Klein 2007), this study will utilise the

mixed method in achieving its objectives. It is

divided into three phases to address the objective of

each phase as illustrated in Figure 10.

6.1 Phase One

In this needs analysis phase, it is crucial to identify

the problem, theories, concept and subject matter to

develop a framework for visual attention evaluation

pertaining to the road signs for Malaysian schools.

Content analysis including artefacts studies and a

comparison with two other countries (Singapore and

United Kingdom school road signs) will be

conducted to form a clear picture of the current

system of school road signs in Malaysia. These

countries were selected based on their low rate of

accidents in the world (World Health Organization,

2015). This will be accomplished by referring to a

related document from JKR (1985) which is the

Arahan Teknik (Jalan) 2A/85: Manual on Traffic

Control Devices and Traffic Sign Application and

Arahan Teknik (Jalan) 2B/85: Manual on Traffic

Control Devices and Traffic Sign Application.

A systematic observation activity will be held at

selected schools with road accident history within

the last two years in the study area to record the

effectiveness of the road sign installation.

Systematic documentation regarding the condition

and the design implementation will be recorded

during the observation.

All the data from the artefact analysis and

observation will be used as a basis for the semi-

structural interview questions. Two interview

sessions will be held with a design expert and

another with the JKR personnel who is in charge of

the road sign designs and installations. These two

interview respondents will be selected based on the

Developing an Attention Framework for Road Sign Design Assessment using the Principle of Emphasis

107

expert definition proposed by Mustapha and

Darusalam (2018).

6.2 Phase Two

Three steps are anticipated in Phase 2 in order to

determine the related elements in visual attention

analysis framework based on the emphasis design

principles.

A literature review will be performed to bring

together any information and data regarding

emphasis design principle and its application in

attracting the attention of drivers. This information

will later be compared with the findings of the

previous stage of the study and divided into several

constructs and sub-construct elements. This list of

elements will then be presented to four graphic

design experts in signage in order to get their

opinion and consensus regarding the suitability of

the elements to be included in the Fuzzy Delphi

survey later.

Six selected design experts, four expert drivers,

and two JKR personnel will be chosen to participate

in the Fuzzy Delphi session in order to get the final

list of constructs and sub-constructs of the emphasis

design principles for the school road sign evaluation.

These participants will be selected as suggested in

the Fuzzy Delphi requirements (Mustapha &

Darusalam, 2018). The ambiguity of this area is the

main reason why the Fuzzy Delphi method is

selected so that the related elements of emphasis can

be identified.

6.3 Phase Three

In this evaluation phase, the expert review by seven

graphic design experts from different companies and

academic institutions will be conducted. The aim is

to validate the framework about the importance of

the selected elements, the relationship between the

elements, and the relevance in assessing the

attention factor of the sign. They will receive a

detailed description of the framework and sub-

framework with a set of questionnaire. The levels of

agreement based on the Likert scale will be used

ranging from (1) “I strongly disagree” to (5) “I

strongly agree” to answer the questions. The expert

will also be prompted to comment on their ratings

and to give suggestions for improvements.

7 DISCUSSION

Due to the high number of road accidents in

Malaysia, there is a critical need for effective

countermeasures strategies to alleviate the problem.

Although several scholars have touched on this

issue, there is still a paucity of research which

focuses on the perspective of art and design. This

research provides an alternative point of view in

road sign designs in order to increase the level of

attention to the road signs and reduce road accident.

7.1 Measuring Tool to Assess the

Objective of the Road Sign System.

Five principles have been listed in the Arahan

Teknik (Jalan) 2B/85: Manual on Traffic Control

Devices and Traffic Sign Application (JKR, 1985),

the guide book for the installation of the road sign

system in Malaysia. These principles consist of the

installation objectives such as illegibility of the sign,

noticeability, and effectiveness during the day or

night. As mentioned earlier, there are needs for

evaluation to measure the success of each of these

principles. This study will eventually create a tool to

assess the second principle, which is the capability

to attract the attention of drivers at a sufficient

distance and the ability to be easily recognizable as

traffic signs at a distance. The framework from this

study may be used as an analysis tool

complimenting other methods such as digital

simulation test.

As this study focuses on the second principle,

other assessment tools should also be developed, as

there are many principles to be addressed. The real

issue of the sign can be seen clearly after each

principle has been attended to.

7.2 Determining the Characteristics of

the Emphasis Design Principle in

Road Sign Design.

This research will systematically identify the

elements of attention to road sign using the principle

of emphasis design. These elements may be carried

out in the future as more research efforts are needed

especially in experimental research to observe the

effects of road signage on human’s attention. It is

hoped that extensive research can result in a better

road sign design in the future.

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108

7.3 Creating a Guideline for a Designer

in Designing Road Signs that

Attract the Attention of Road Users

Road signs are visual cues for motorists in preparing

them to expect things they might confront in front. It

is crucial especially as warning signs to gain the

attention of motorists and preparing them for any

eventualities of danger. Evaluating existing road

signs and redesigning a better version require

guidelines. The framework could assist designers in

coming out with an improved road sign design

before it can be tested for effectiveness.

7.4 Revision of the Malaysian Road

Sign and Signal Guidelines (Arahan

Teknik Jalan)

The references for road sign installation in Malaysia

are based on a series of Arahan Teknik Jalan series

by Public Works Department of Malaysia. An

examination of the latest version of the guidelines

stated in the Guide Signs Design and Application

(ATJ 2E/87 (Pindaan 2015)), indicated that there is

an urgency for a revision of guidelines particularly

with regards to the graphical aspect of road sign

specifications and visualisations. The outdated

colour codes for spot colour and inconsistency

between the illustrations and numbering

measurements need to be addressed. Since Malaysia

is one of the top countries with a high accident rate

and since Malaysia is not part of the Geneva Sign

and Signal 1968 Convention, it is critical that the

road safety aspects be given prominence and an

updated guideline regarding road signs could be one

of the methods that can offer a solution.

8 CONCLUSION

The attention given to road signs, especially the

warning signs is fundamental to ensure safety while

driving. It can save lives and improves the driving

experience. This research will focus on developing a

framework to measure the factors that attract drivers

attention to road sign designs. The outcome may be

used as a guideline in the pre-production and

production stage as well as the maintenance of road

signs. Further research related to visual principles

should be conducted in the future in order to

generate more research paths for improving road

sign designs. Studies like the impact of a dynamic

icon by Cian et al. (2015) or other future research

that examines the emphasis factors determined from

this research would be of value.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

The authors would like to acknowledge Universiti

Teknologi MARA (UiTM) for providing financial

assistance under the Multi-, Inter- and Trans-

discipline Research Grant (MITRA) project with the

file number 600-

IRMI/MYRA5/3/MITRA(007/2017)-3. Sincere

gratitude is also dedicated to Kementerian

Pendidikan Malaysia, Universiti Teknologi MARA,

Universiti Teknikal Malaysia Melaka (UTeM) and

Jabatan Siasatan dan Penguatkuasaan Trafik Bukit

Aman (JSPTBA), for assisting this research.

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A. Poore, ed., Boston: Wadsworth, Cengage

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