The report describes two individual, independent studies that investigated how two existing, near future concepts (gamification and a head—up display (HUD)) could be applied to improve drivers’ compliance with traffic management guidance. This has the potential to improve overall network efficiency — firstly, through this increased compliance effect but secondly, by giving national roads authorities better and more specific tools for managing the movements of vehicles on their networks. The UK study (described in Chapter 2) was carried out by TRL and it investigated the use of gamification techniques on driving behaviour. A simple game design was created with the aim of encouraging drivers to adopt behaviours that were safe but also complied with traffic management guidance; the results were mixed but somewhat encouraging. The main positive result was that, on a number of metrics, participants were observed to display significantly better driving behaviour during their drive with the game active than when there was no game present. These effects seemed to apply for male, female, older and younger participants and were observed irrespective of whether the participants liked or disliked the game itself. The main negative effect of the game was that participants did not like the game and reported that it made driving more difficult and more stressful. On reflection, this is perhaps unsurprising as it is, to some degree, requiring drivers to adopt behaviours that are different from their usual driving habits and it may therefore make them feel uncomfortable. However, it had been expected that enjoyment of the game may offset such feelings. It should be noted however, that although the game was created to the best of the abilities of technical team involved in the project, it would be reasonable to state that there was no specific game mechanics experts that could perhaps have helped to make the game as engaging and enjoyable as possible. The second study (described in Chapter 3) was carried out in the Netherlands by TNO. It investigated the potential benefits of supplementing (or even replacing) existing driveroriented traffic management information using spoken warnings or an in-vehicle HUD system. The study found that traffic management information presented by in-vehicle information — either spoken or via a HUD - did not lead to better or more timely compliance than the same information presented via traditional roadside signs. This contrasts with previous studies (e.g. Liu & Wen, 2004) that have found HUDs to improve drivers’ reactions — although those results were in a higher workload, urban environment than on the relatively simple highway environment under test. Participants found the HUD information to be more satisfying but no more useful than the roadside information and the in-vehicle speech interface. It should also be noted that since participants found HUD-presented information no less useful than traditional techniques, then the use of HUDs for providing more specific individual vehicle guidance in traffic management should be explored. This specificity is the real potential benefit of in-vehicle information. As such, it would be of interest to study how individual vehicles given differing traffic management information would behave in a shared motorway environment. It would also be of interest to understand user attitudes to enforcement of traffic management measures implemented by in-vehicle information. This would represent a significant change in policy but in technological terms, it would not be difficult to detect when a vehicle was travelling significantly in excess of its individually prescribed speed limit. The two simulator studies presented investigated how two different human factors techniques could support future traffic management. The use of simple gamification principles brought about changes in driving behaviour but the approach was not well liked by participants who felt that it made the driving task more difficult. The use of in-vehicle information for presenting traffic management information was found to be no better (but no worse) than traditional techniques but was found to be more satisfying for participants. It can be concluded that each study has therefore provided results that suggest each technique can be explored further. In particular, firstly, it would be of interest to work with game design specialists to create a specific game to encourage safe and compliant driving behaviour that builds upon the results of the UK study. Secondly, the use of in-vehicle information for traffic management was found to be non-detrimental to safe, compliant driving behaviour so further work should focus on how to gain further benefit from the flexibility of traffic management that can be achieved by this approach. (Author/publisher)
Abstract