Human factors research can be used to design safe and efficient Advanced Traveler Information Systems (ATIS) that are easy to use (Kantowitz, Becker, & Barlow, 1993). This research used the Battelle Route Guidance Simulator (RGS) to examine two important issues related to driver behavior and acceptance of ATIS technology: (1) the effect of route familiarity on ATIS use and acceptance and (2) the level of information accuracy needed for an ATIS to be accepted and considered useful. The RGS included two 486 computers that provided drivers with real-time information and traffic reports. Drivers used a touch screen to select routes on one computer monitor and watched the results of their selection (i.e., real-time video of the traffic) on a second computer monitor. Drivers could use the system to obtain information about the traffic conditions on any link before traversing a route. In this experiment, subjects were exposed to four experimental conditions involving manipulation of the driver's familiarity with the route and the reliability of the traffic information obtained from the RGS (i.e., 100%, 71%, and 43% accuracy). The driver's goal was to reach the destination as quickly as possible by avoiding heavy traffic. The results indicated that drivers were able to benefit from system information when it was reliable, but not when it was unreliable. Trust ratings for the 43% accuracy group were significantly higher at the beginning of the four trials than at the end. Also, drivers were more apt to rely on the ATIS and accept information given in an unfamiliar traffic network versus a familiar one.
Investigating the effect of urgency and modality of pedestrian alert warnings on driver acceptance and performance