A COMPARISON OF SELECTED TRAFFIC INFORMATION DEVICES

THIS STUDY EVALUATES VARIOUS TRAFFIC INFORMATION DEVICES WITH RESPECT TO THEIR PREFERENCE RATING BY DRIVERS AND TO THE RESPONSE TO EACH DEVICE. A TOTAL OF 187 RESPONDENTS WERE INTERVIEWED IN GROUPS RANGING FROM 6 TO 55. THE 6 ALTERNATES THAT WERE OFFERED TO THE RESPONDENTS FOR PREFERENCE RATING WERE A SYMBOLIC EXPRESSWAY MAP SIGN WITH COLORED ARROWS SHOWING TRAFFIC CONDITIONS, SYMBOLIC EXPRESSWAY AND ARTERIAL STREET MAP SIGN WITH COLORED ARROWS SHOWING TRAFFIC CONDITIONS, CHANGEABLE-MESSAGE LAMP MATRIX SIGN, ROADSIDE RADIO TRANSMITTER, COMMERCIAL RADIO TRAFFIC BROADCAST, AND EXPERIENCE AND DRIVING BACKGROUND. THE RESPONDENTS PREFERRED THE LAMP MATRIX SIGN, THE SYMBOLIC MAPS, THE RADIO SYSTEM, AND EXPERIENCE, IN THAT ORDER. THE RESPONDENTS WERE ASKED TO MAKE A DIVERSION DECISION BASED ON TRAFFIC INFORMATION RECEIVED FROM EACH OF THE DEVICES. INFORMATION CONCERNING 6 DIFFERENT LEVELS OF CONGESTION WAS PRESENTED ON THE LAMP MATRIX SIGN, THE SYMBOLIC MAP, THE ROADSIDE RADIO, AND THE COMMERCIAL RADIO TRAFFIC BROADCAST. FOR EACH DEVICE, DIVERSION INCREASED AS CONGESTION INCREASED, EXCEPT THAT THE DIVERSION PROPORTION FOR THE SYMBOLIC MAP AT ONE CONGESTION LEVEL DEVIATED SHARPLY FROM AN OTHERWISE LOGICAL TREND. THE RESULTS SHOW THAT THE RESPONDENTS PREFERRED VISUAL DEVICES OVER VOCAL DEVICES AND, FOR THE SAMPLE, THE DIFFERENCES IN DIVERSION RESPONSE BETWEEN DEVICES WERE SIGNIFICANT BUT SMALL IN A PRACTICAL SENSE. /AUTHOR/

• Record URL:
  • http://onlinepubs.trb.org/Onlinepubs/hrr/1971/366/366-010.pdf
• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/isbn/0309019818
• Supplemental Notes:
  • Sponsored by Committee on Motorist Information Systems and presented at the 50th Annual Meeting.Distribution, posting, or copying of this PDF is strictly prohibited without written permission of the Transportation Research Board of the National Academy of Sciences. Unless otherwise indicated, all materials in this PDF are copyrighted by the National Academy of Sciences. Copyright © National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved
• Authors:
  • Hoff, Gerald C
• Publication Date: 1971

Media Info

• Media Type: Print
• Features: Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: pp 116-129
• Monograph Title: Traffic control and driver information
• Serial:
  • Highway Research Record
  • Issue Number: 366
  • Publisher: Highway Research Board

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Drivers; Driving; Evaluation; Information display systems; Information management; Information, data, and knowledge; Radio; Signs; Traffic control devices
• Uncontrolled Terms: Driving conditions
• Old TRIS Terms: Displays
• Subject Areas: Data and Information Technology; Highways; Operations and Traffic Management;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00226193
• Record Type: Publication
• ISBN: 0309019818
• Report/Paper Numbers: HS-011 999
• Files: TRIS, TRB
• Created Date: Mar 20 1972 12:00AM