A QUESTIONNAIRE SURVEY OF THE UNDERSTANDING OF ROAD RULES AND PRIORITIES BY A REPRESENTATIVE SAMPLE OF THE DRIVING POPULATION OF METROPOLITAN MELBOURNE WAS CONDUCTED DURING THE INTRODUCTORY PHASE OF AN AREA WIDE SHIFT TO A MAJOR/MINOR ROAD SYSTEM. THE SURVEY IS PART OF A BEFORE AND AFTER STUDY OF THE EFFECTS ON DRIVER BEHAVIOUR OF A RAPID TRANSITION FROM A TRADITION OF DRIVER-DETERMINED PRIORITIES, SUCH AS THE OFFSIDE PRIORITY RULE, TO A MORE SYSTEMATIC APPLICATION OF EXTERNALLY APPLIED PRIORITIES, AS REPRESENTED BY STOP AND GIVE-WAY SIGNS AND MARKINGS. THE QUESTIONNAIRE PRESENTED A PAPER AND PENCIL SIMULATION OF A SERIES OF INTERSECTION CONFLICTS AND HIGH RISK MANOEUVRES THAT MIGHT BE FACED BY A DRIVER ENGAGED IN AN EXTENDED TRIP ON A MAIN ROAD. AT EACH DECISION POINT THE RESPONDENT WAS ASKED TO SELECT FROM PREPARED RESPONSE ALTERNATIVES THE ONE THAT IN HIS JUDGEMENT BEST FITTED THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE SITUATION. THE RESULTS OBTAINED FROM A SAMPLE OF 1001 LICENSED DRIVERS SHOWED THAT THERE WAS ALREADY A PARTIAL APPRECIATION OF THE CHANGES IN METHODS OF DETERMINING PRIORITIES IN INTERSECTION CONFLICTS AND A GREATER INCLINATION TO ACCEPT OVERTAKING OPPORTUNITIES ON PROTECTED AS COMPARED WITH UNPROTECTED ROAD SEGMENTS. IN ADDITION, THERE WERE A FEW OCCASIONS ON WHICH CONFUSIONS IN THE APPLICATION OF DRIVER-DETERMINED PRIORITIES WERE NOT REDUCED BY THE CHANGES IN THE TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT SYSTEM. (A). FOR THE COVERING ABSTRACT OF THE CONFERENCE PROCEEDINGS SEE IRRD ABSTRACT NO. 226354.
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