POSITIVE GUIDANCE IN TRAFFIC CONTROL

The progress that has been made in developing the positive guidance concept is documented, and the meaning of positive guidance, the philosophy of driver performance upon which it is based the nature of the driving task at those locations where positive guidance is applicable, and a procedure for its application are discussed. This report describes what must be done to improve the information system at hazardous locations. Positive guidance which is an information system matched to the facility characteristics and driver attributes, is based on the premise that a driver can be given sufficient information where he needs it and in the form that he can best use to avoid hazards. The driver handles information in a decision-making process and translates it into 3 levels of control actions: physical operation of the vehicle, guidance level (speed and path), and navigation level. Successful performance at the guidance level requires selection of speed and path to negotiate a hazardous location safely and efficently. The extent and nature of positive guidance is dependent on the hazard and its intereaction with the drivers information processing characteristics. Positive guidance has been set into a system analysis methodology, and a procedure has been developed consisting of 6 major functions. The first three functions are data collection at problem locations, specifications of problems, and definition of driver performance factors. These serve as analytical and diagnostic tools to determine the location and nature of safety and operational problems. The other functions are: definition of information requirements and determination of positive guidance information (to aid in the design of remedial information system corrections), and the evaluation to determine the effectiveness of the solutions.

• Corporate Authors:

  Federal Highway Administration

  Office of Safety and Traffic Operations, 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
  Washington, DC  United States  20590
• Authors:
  • Alexander, G J
  • Lunenfeld, H
• Publication Date: 1975

Media Info

• Features: Figures; References;
• Pagination: 57 p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Automated vehicle control; Data collection; Driver information systems; Driver performance; Drivers; Evaluation; Hazards; High risk locations; Motor vehicles; Motorist aid systems; Navigation; Personnel performance; Safety; Speed; Systems analysis; Traffic control; Traffic speed; Vehicle dynamics
• Uncontrolled Terms: Guidance; Hazard perception; Vehicle path
• Old TRIS Terms: Remedies
• Subject Areas: Highways; Operations and Traffic Management; Safety and Human Factors;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00132915
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS, USDOT
• Created Date: Jun 5 2001 12:00AM