The author describes Japan's changing driver population and the changes being made to highway infrastructure to accommodate it. With an increase in older drivers, women drivers and foreigners more importance is being attached to the driver's perception of the road.1The highway environment is being reassessed in terms of colour, brightness, size, shape, vibration and speed. Examples are given of schemes which have been carried out using double lane marking, markings indicating merging/diverging lanes, coloured paving for route guidance and new traffic signs. The use of rumble strips and road marking to control speed perception are also described. A need to restrict the information burden is suggested and a model of a future road system illustrated which uses a combination of psychological and electronic features. For the covering abstract see IRRD 881118.
Samenvatting