Vertical is Beneficial but volume is Irrelevant: Optimization of urban guide signs based on spatial representation of road networks.

Urban guide signs, a fundamental component of traffic sign systems, convey both directional and locational information. Previous studies mainly focused on the font or volume of information, while little attention was paid to the layout of text-based Chinese guide signs, which is an unregulated area but crucial in practical applications and related to people's travel safety. This study investigates the impact of text layout and information volume on the spatial representation of road networks through two experimental studies, examining the effects of different designs on path determination and global road network knowledge. The results indicate that the text layout of urban road guide signs significantly influences the formation of spatial representation of the road network. Specifically, vertical guide signs displaying road names on both sides proved more effective than horizontal ones. While the volume of road name information does not markedly affect the formation of spatial representation, the arrangement of road names does influence the determination of information volume, with vertical layouts facilitating the presentation of more information. It is anticipated that these design recommendations for road signs can effectively mitigate the incidence of road traffic accidents.