USING TRAFFIC LIGHT INFORMATION AS NAVIGATIONAL CLUES: IMPLICATIONS FOR NAVIGATION SYSTEM DESIGN

This study uses an exploratory approach to determine drivers' strategies when using traffic and pedestrian lights as navigational landmarks. The influence and relative importance of external factors such as road layout and traffic density were of particular interest. An on-road trial with 30 participants used simulated navigation instructions that required drivers to count traffic lights and pedestrian lights rather than providing distance-to-turn information. The results confirmed that traffic lights can be used as navigation cues even when the density of traffic lights along a stretch of road is high. The phrase "set of traffic lights" resulted in slightly better performance than "traffic lights" alone. More errors were made if the target turn was at a pedestrian light and if the turn was visually complex or concealed. In the absence of a navigation task, most drivers did not differentiate between traffic and pedestrian lights when counting the occurrences and only experienced difficulty in counting when the number of lights exceeded four. These results have implications for the design of in-vehicle navigation systems.

• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/issn/13698478
• Corporate Authors:

  Elsevier

  The Boulevard, Langford Lane
  Kidlington, Oxford  United Kingdom  OX5 1GB
• Authors:
  • Ross, T
  • May, A J
  • Grimsley, P J
• Publication Date: 2004-3

Language

• English

Media Info

• Features: Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: p. 119-134
• Serial:
  • Transportation Research Part F: Traffic Psychology and Behaviour
  • Volume: 7
  • Issue Number: 2
  • Publisher: Elsevier
  • ISSN: 1369-8478
  • Serial URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/journal/13698478

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Automobile navigation systems; Design; Drivers; Highway design; Pedestrian actuated controllers; Route guidance; Traffic density; Traffic signals; Turning traffic
• Subject Areas: Design; Highways; Safety and Human Factors; Vehicles and Equipment; I91: Vehicle Design and Safety;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00974072
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: May 29 2004 12:00AM