This study deals with the possible negative and positive effects of navigation systems on road safety. The literature shows that the human factors side is open for improvement: the design of the menu, possibility of manual programming during driving and shifting the attention of the driver from the road to the information display. The positive effects are less detours, reduced uncertainty, stress and searching for the right way, especially during detrimental road and weather conditions. The results of a survey among drivers using navigation systems are presented. In this article a simple scenario calculation is conducted, starting from the presupposition that all cars are fitted with an optimally designed navigation system. Based on foreign studies an average of unnecessary detours expressed in vehicle-kilometres of 5 to 7% is used. This reduction in detours will result in a reduction in accidents and traffic casualties, in vehicle costs and environmental burden. These reductions are converted and quantified into monetary units.
Abstract