The TRRL environmental simulator is a facility that allows simulations of the effects of traffic conditions on environments to be displayed to members of the public. An investigation was conducted to examine the relationship between assessments made after experiencing the simulations with assessments made by residents based on the experience of living in the environments simulated. One hundred and seventy three subjects from four roads participated in the investigation. They assessed their own home environment and their experience of traffic nuisance on various dimensions, and then answered the same questions about the simulations of the roads of the other participants. By this means, for each of the four roads there were at least 39 'own home' assessments and at least 123 'simulator' assessments. Comparisons of the assessments indicate that although the assessments of simulations are generally reliable between the subjects from different locations, they are not valid as substitutes for own home assessments. It is suggested that this is due to the inter-related psychological factors of expectation, rationalisation and adaptation that influence own home but not simulator assessments. It is concluded that the simulator has utility for obtaining informed dispassionate judgements of environments and traffic conditions. (Author/publisher)
Abstract