English title: Motivating correct behaviour in road tunnels during emergency situations. The research project "Motivating correct behaviour in road tunnels during emergency situations" aims to increase the safety of road tunnels and to instruct motorists in safe behavior in the event of emergencies or disturbances. The study was based on an internet survey which assessed motorists’ current knowledge base (e.g., regarding tunnel fixtures, behavior) and which was completed by 423 respondents of all ages. Results showed, for example, that 16 % of respondents would stay inside their cars if they saw fire and smoke, whilst 19 % admitted to not knowing what to do in such a situation. The time available for evacuation in the event of a fire was overestimated by 42 %. A behavioral analysis of previous tunnel-fire incidents showed that the individuals involved underestimated the intensity of the situation and perceived the vehicle as a safe harbor. They thus tended to remain inside their cars for too long in the event of fire and smoke. A survey among tunnel conductors revealed current safety standards as well as the nature and scope of emergency planning. Noise measurements in selected tunnels demonstrated the potential of acoustic information in emergency situations. In a series of experiments, fundamental design aspects for emergency evacuation were resolved: Visual / haptic means: In order to ascertain how people can be evacuated from a smoke-filled environment as quickly as possible, different guidance methods were experimentally tested in an underground bunker (using theatric smoke and noise, n = 54): guidance lights, diode laser modules, railings, as well as a combination thereof. If it is necessary to cross the tunnel in order to find the emergency exit, combinations of visual and haptic devices are particularly well-suited. Acoustic means: Speech announcements were developed using traditional loudspeakers (poor transmission quality), as well as modern loudspeakers (enhanced transmission quality due to reduced echo interference). Radio announcements for emergency situations as well as acoustic signals for extreme situations were designed. The speech announcements were brief and conformed to current psychoacoustic and linguistic principles. In the event of tunnel fires, speech announcements should be complemented or replaced by acoustic signals in the form of specific sounds which can be easily located, are self-explicable, which motivate motorists to immediately leave their vehicles, and which help them find emergency exits. In a series of experiments (underground bunker, traffic noise 80 dB A, fan noise 78 dB A), each of which was based on a sample of 40 participants of all ages, the effects of numerous “attractive” and “aversive” sounds were compared. Different bird songs, musical instruments, a singing voice (exempli gratia "Hier her." - English: Come here.), a speaking voice (exempli gratia “Please exit here.”, "Der Notausgang ist hier." - English: The emergency exit is here.) and white noise were tested as “attractive” sounds designed to lead participants to the exit. On the other hand, "aversive” sounds designed to motivate people to leave their vehicles and the tunnel were created, exempli gratia an organ pipe (circa 7 Hz) as well as a subwoofer speaker (frequency of circa 25-200 Hz). Further signals, such as exempli gratia a fire alarm siren, were additionally tested. The bass sound “saw tooth” (period 10 to 50 Hz) or a low organ pipe sound (7 Hz) prove suitable for encouraging motorists to vacate their cars and flee in an emergency situation in a tunnel. Lower frequencies are felt in the stomach area rather than heard and are perceived to be highly uncomfortable. Most participants correctly interpreted these sounds and the emotions that they evoke help encourage people to leave the tunnel. Contrary to previous literature, pure white noise cannot be recommended for use in leading people to the exits. Better suited for this task is a voice singing “Hier her." (English: Come here. Female alto voice, sostenuto, minor third), alternated with the mating song of a robin and supplemented with white noise. A sequence of signals consisting of the speech announcement “Der Notausgang ist hier." (English: The emergency exit is here.), the robin song supplemented with white noise, and the speech announcement “Please exit here.” can also be recommended. These signal combinations can be localized very well, are correctly interpreted and are judged positively. The different systems must be hierarchically attuned to one another, with the specific nature of the emergency being taken into account (see Chapter 13). The insights gained from this study can be implemented in real-life situations with relatively little effort and are well-suited for significantly improving safety in the event of emergencies in tunnels. The original report contains numerous appendices. These are the conduct recommen-dations made by various institutions in the event of a fire in the tunnel (Appendix A), an internet survey on tunnel safety and an information sheet for participants (Appendices B and C), an example of an alarm and hazard-prevention plan (Appendix D), an optic/haptic trial with details (Appendix E), an acoustic trial, the signals used, signal location, responses and response times (Appendix F) and the documentation already available about the various tunnels in Germany in other languages (Appendix G). These appendices have not been included in this publication. They are available from the Federal Highway Research Institute and may be viewed there. References to the appendices in the body of the text have been retained for the information of the reader. (Author/publisher)
Abstract