REMARKS ON THE ROLE OF VISUAL CONTRAST BETWEEN PAVEMENT AND HORIZONTAL MARKINGS IN THE CORRECT INTERPRETATION OF THE ROAD LAYOUTS

Road accidents can be determined, among other reasons, by a wrong layout design. An aberration of the visual perspective and losses of visibility due to road geometry (obstacles, variations of the horizontal alignment or section, etc.) can be, together with weather and environmental aspects, the cause of inappropriate behaviors of drivers. The environment is characterized by different factors, road pavement and horizontal markings included. The contrast between their surfaces is an optical requisite for a correct perception of the road lane size and layout. It can be studied on site, but also by means in a virtual environment. This paper presents some research experiences set up in 3D virtual environment on the basis of full immersive driving simulation. Layout and pavement materials of an existing road have been reproduced. Road markings consist of lines having different shape, color and size. The wearing course can be varied according to its texture. The experimentation consists in the evaluation of drivers’ behavior (trajectory, speed and acceleration) in initial conditions of maximum visual contrast and daytime, and successive phases where the perception of the road surface is changed by means of different stimuli. The goal is the recognition of the role of markings and pavement texture in the correct interpretation of the road layout.