PROVISION OF ROAD INFORMATION ACTING ON HUMAN SUBCONSCIOUS

Recent socioeconomic changes in Japan including an aging population structure, internationalization, and ever increasing participation of women in man-dominated affairs have subsequently led to a change in the driver population presently using the nation's road network. To cope with these changes, an efficient use of infrastructure investments is desired that focuses on comfortable and user-friendly road facilities. In light of this, standards that consider human physiology in design and construction of road facilities are indispensable. Conventional considerations in providing road facilities are likely to be risky for those groups of elderly drivers, women, and foreign drivers, especially in expressways where high speeds require them to make quick decisions in vehicular maneuvers. Therefore, to reduce factors endangering these drivers, carefully planned traffic information must be provided the proper way that the driver-fatigue could be minimized. Meanwhile, for the road to be adequately user-comfortable, other necessary facilities based on similar considerations should also be provided. For this, conventional methods adopted in road information systems may be supplemented with less conspicuous means that makes drivers unknowingly become aware of potential dangers and receive navigational information. Thus, it may be possible to communicate directly with human subconscious in warning of approaching intersections, sharp turns, changing surface conditions, and steep slopes, or conveying route information, with the use of colors, light, surface texture, and optical illusion. Further, while road information can be communicated to drivers through advanced systems or by adopting the findings of this study, incorporating both is desirable for an optimized information system that truly helps reduce driver-fatigue in achieving a better and safer driving environment.

• Supplemental Notes:
  • Five volumes of papers and one volume of abstracts comprise the published set of conference materials.
• Corporate Authors:

  VERTIS

  TORANOMOM 34 MORI BUILDING 1-25-5
  TORANOMON, MINATOKU, TOKYO 105  Japan 
• Authors:
  • Takinami, S
• Conference:
  • Steps Forward. Intelligent Transport Systems World Congress
  • Location: Yokohama, Japan
  • Date: 1995-11-9 to 1995-11-11
• Publication Date: 1995-11

Language

• English

Media Info

• Pagination: p. 1836

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Color; Human factors; Information systems; Intelligent transportation systems; Light; Navigational aids; Texture
• Geographic Terms: Japan
• Old TRIS Terms: Human subconscious
• Subject Areas: Highways; Operations and Traffic Management; Safety and Human Factors; I83: Accidents and the Human Factor;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00723484
• Record Type: Publication
• Report/Paper Numbers: Volume 4
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Jul 29 1996 12:00AM