SATISFYING MOTORISTS NEED FOR INFORMATION

THE DRIVING TASK IS BROKEN DOWN INTO THREE ACTIVITIES, CRITERIA FOR THE USE OF DRIVER INFORMATION IN THESE ACTIVITIES ARE DEFINED, AND SOME ENGINEERING AND PSYCHOLOGICAL PRINCIPLES FOR TRANSMITTING INFORMATION TO MOTORISTS ARE DISCUSSED AND ILLUSTRATED. VEHICLE CONTROL, EXERCISED THROUGH THE STEERING WHEEL, ACCELERATOR, AND BRAKE, IS THE SIMPLEST OF THE THREE DRIVING ACTIVITIES. GUIDANCE IS A JUDGMENTAL ACTIVITY THAT ENTAILS EVALUATING THE HIGHWAY ENVIRONMENT AND TAKING THE NECESSARY CONTROL ACTIONS. THE THIRD ACTIVITY, NAVIGATION, RELATES TO THE TOTALITY OF MEANS BY WHICH THE DRIVER FOLLOWS A PATH FROM AN ORIGIN TO A DESTINATION. IN PERFORMING THESE ACTIVITIES, DRIVERS HAVE CERTAIN CRITERIA FOR THE PRESENTATION AND UTILIZATION OF INFORMATION. THE FIRST OF THESE IS PRIMACY, WHICH ACCEPTS SAFETY AS THE ESSENTIAL REQUIREMENT. A COROLLARY IS THAT THE EASIEST TASKS ARE THE MOST IMPORTANT, AND COMPLEX ONES THE LEAST. AN IMPLICATION IS THAT, FOR EXAMPLE, WHEN INFORMATION ABOUT ALL THREE DRIVING ACTIVITIES IS BEING PRESENTED, INFORMATION ABOUT NAVIGATION IS THE FIRST TO BE GIVEN UP. HENCE, NAVIGATION INFORMATION SHOULD NOT BE PLACED AT A LOCATION WHERE THE GUIDANCE TASK IS COMPLEX. A SECOND CRITERION IS EXPECTATION: THE DRIVER HAS CERTAIN EXPECTATIONS OF WHAT INFORMATION WILL BE PRESENTED TO HIM, AND IN WHAT FORM AND SEQUENCE. A THIRD CRITERION IS THE DRIVER'S KNOWLEDGE OF THE HIGHWAY ENVIRONMENT AND THE DRIVING TASK. IT IS THIS CRITERION THAT HIGHWAY ENGINEERS MUST RESPECT IN REQUIRING OF THE DRIVER CERTAIN IN-TRANSIT DECISIONS ON THE BASIS OF INFORMATION GIVEN TO HIM. THESE THREE CRITERIA ARE COMBINED WITH THE ELEMENTS OF THE DRIVER TASK TO ILLUSTRATE RIGHT AND WRONG WAYS OF PRESENTING INFORMATION TO MOTORISTS.

• Supplemental Notes:
  • VOL 43 NO 1 PP 46-9, 70
• Authors:
  • Alexander, G J
  • Lunenfeld, H
• Publication Date: 0

Media Info

• Serial:
  • Traffic Engineering, Inst Traffic Engr
  • Volume: 44
  • Issue Number: 1

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Behavior; Drivers; Driving; Information management; Information, data, and knowledge; Reaction time; Signs
• Uncontrolled Terms: Driver reaction; Driving conditions
• Old TRIS Terms: Driver psychology
• Subject Areas: Data and Information Technology; Highways; Operations and Traffic Management;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00226585
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Apr 17 1973 12:00AM