doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2026.1775997engHernando, AnaTejero, PilarRoca, JavierLucas-Alba, AntonioInforming drivers about events and their location in Variable Message Signs: effects of words versus pictogramsART-2026-149525With advancing road technologies and growing traffic complexity, a major challenge is to inform drivers through clear and concise messages. This study examines how drivers understand Variable Message Signs indicating the location of an event relative to a city. Four message designs were tested, resulting from two crossed factors: the event category was informed by either a word or a pictogram, and the location of the event was indicated by either a word or an arrow. Twenty-four drivers were asked to identify the message as quickly and accurately as possible. Compared to text: (1) for the event, pictograms led to faster (Mpictogram = 6112 ms; Mtext = 6338 ms) and more accurate (Rpictogram = 1.00; Rtext = 0.99) responses; (2) for the location, the arrow resulted in worse accuracy (Rarrow = 0.98; Rtext = 0.99) and response time (Marrow = 6261 ms; Mtext = 6189 ms). Text-pictogram combinations may constitute a functional strategy toward the harmonization and internationalization of road signage, although the effectiveness of specific combinations likely depends on how clearly each element conveys its meaning.2026http://zaguan.unizar.es/record/17172410.3389/fpsyg.2026.1775997http://zaguan.unizar.es/record/171724oai:zaguan.unizar.es:171724info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/ES/DGA/S62-23Dinfo:eu-repo/grantAgreement/ES/MICINN/PID2019-106562GB-I00info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/ES/UZ/270237Frontiers in Psychology 17 (2026), [10 pp.]byhttps://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/deed.esinfo:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess