press release
Brussels, 25 October 1999

In 1994, the members of European Parliament urged the creation of a new comprehensive road typeface system, the development of a ‘general high recognition and perception font’, and recommended adoption of uniform design practices. Now, after five years of extensive research, the European Committee for Uniformity of Type Design and Type Safety completed the research and presented legible-for-all-purposes-suitable-typeface. The typeface, named Euroface, was developed and studied through extensive design exercises, laboratory investigation and road tests. The result is convincing: Euroface is 42% more legible than Helvetica at the speed higher than 80 km/h and at 120 km/h legibility reaches a value of 5 ISRU*. The Committee’s recommendation were accepted and the adoption of the system in the EC countries should be completed by 2005. A Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices and Type Safety was published in 1999, thoroughly presenting the projects implication, possibilities and practical applications.

*International Standard Recognition Unit


Project’s description
(excerpt from The Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices and Type Safety)

Introduction
In the early days of traffic control device systems, only broad specifications were enumerated by conventions or government bodies. Local jurisdiction were left to their own devices insofar as basic type design was concerned. With the passage of time and increased sophistication, all systems have become much specific about applications of type in public and many inconsistencies occured. What is clear at the present time is, that there is the need for uniform design review procedures. To ensure the road safety for the next century, the European Committee for Uniformity of Type Design and Type Safety (ECforTS) organised an international design contest in order to find the-one-and-only-for-all-purposes-suitable-ultimately-legible typeface.


Comparative analysis of the design elements

After an extensive judging of submitted designs, the ECforTS had chosen a research study performed by prof. E. Bügleichenhaus and his multi-disciplinary team of psychologists, engineers and graphic designers.
Results (output vs. input)
The driver’s need for information is based on the tasks he must perform; these include lane holding, car following, vigilance for hazards, and the monitoring of gages and controls of his vehicle. Although the output of such action can be measured and examined, it is difficult to specify what the input is that results in the observed output. The recent research has concentrated on the total information the driver takes in through the windshield as he observed the roadway ahead, and has led to a model of how information flows into the driver and is processed. The faster one travelled a portion of the road, the more bits per unit time must be processed. Because of the high information density (exposure time divided by vehicle speed) the traditional typefaces may not be readable at all. Alternatively, drivers who read conventional signs may have vehicle control problems — thus causing possible collisions. This view of information processing and its critical role in the driving task leads to several observations about the design of the typeface. In the situation of high-speed highways, information presented in a sign needs to be equilibrated by adjusting horizontal shapes of the typeface. The visual adjustments facilitate reception of information on the sensory level in the speeds higher then 80km/h. This adjudication is conditional, and is based on previous inputs.

The investigation proves that each of the new sign using Euroface elicits the same response from every driver. The sensor-processor-actor system can be observed and measured using the newly developed measurement system ISRU (International Standard Recognition Unit). The shapes of Euroface were found to be most distinctive and recognisable in both positive and negative at high speed. Euroface proved to be clearly superior to Helvetica and other traditional typefaces. Visually it carries directional information, so the necessary processing of the letters by the observer is reduced. Result is very convincing: Euroface is 42% more legible at the speed higher than 80 km/h and at 120 km/h legibility reaches an incredible value of 5 ISRU (5.5 ISRU is the absolute legibility world record measured in 1982 in simulated conditions in a research and test centre in Nizhniy Olenek near the Arctic Circle by a team of Russian typographers).
Euroface was tested in the laboratory and on a special test road. The team of scientists used for the first time the ‘prof. Morozov legibility test machine’, providing the absolutely objective results employing the previously mentioned ISRU system.

Conclusion
The Euroface project went far beyond testing of basic elements and signs. It included a broad literature search, a number of design experiments and explorations. The ‘professor Morozov legibility machine’ was internationally introduced. Performed safety tests guarantee the best results, avoiding proliferation of ‘visual pollution’ which fostered confusion and chaos amongst the general public. The proposed use of Euroface font is another useful step toward visual consistency, and a precious improvement in the ultimate quest for achieving the Europe’s visual uniformity.


Perception of Euroface's characters at different velocity

The research included continuing reevaluation of existing type designs (Helvetica, DIN Schriften, Universe etc.) The results are revealing. For instance: Helvetica failed in all the laboratory tests, obtaining only 0.4 ISRU. Consequently, the European Committee for Uniformity of Type Design and Type Safety decided to abolish Helvetica for the 21 century as absolutely non-functional and dangerous for the new generation. As we have emphasised, this total systems viewpoint is necessary in order to avoid proliferating design which, whilst independently effective for regional problems, conflict with the current overall system.

km/h: kilometres per hour
ISRU: International Standard Recognition Unit

Combined rating scheme for the legibility test. Euroface is 2.8 ISRU more legible then Helvetica at and 2.2 ISRU more legible then Univers at the speed of 80 km/h. (the higher, the better)

This paper has been excerpted from The Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices and Type Safety, which gives complete statistical information for the experiments plus extensive bibliography or related research. For further information contact prof. E. Bügleichenhaus or call The European Committee for Uniformity of Type Design and Type Safety.
prof. Eugene Bügleichenhaus

This ambitious project met severe criticism and entousiastic applause amongst the academic community. In the section bellow you can read some responses of the prominent intellectuals and world' foremost experts the field of typography and road sign systems.
David Berlow
dr. Rüdiger Metzker
prof. dr. Ernst Krefeld Hansen
Gerard Unger
Gert Dumbar