We recently had the opportunity to see a really great application of Human Factors/Cognitive Science to traffic safety. The photo above shows a speed limit sign on a roadway around a shopping center in Fultondale, Alabama. Do you notice anything strange? Of course you do! That is precisely why this sign is so effective. Humans are biased toward remembering distinct events--events that “stick out like a sore thumb.” This cognitive bias, called the Von Restorff Effect, often gets us in trouble because we remember unusual events so well that we overestimate their likelihood. An example of this is people worrying more about being struck by lightning than being injured in a car accident.
In the case of the 27mph speed limit sign, the designers employed the Von Restorff Effect to help us remember the speed limit! This is an excellent example of Human Factors being creatively applied to traffic safety.
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