Requirements for route guidance in the Netherlands

This report details the results of a study aimed at providing information on the requirements for route guidance in the Netherlands. The objectives of the study were to establish the likely reaction of Dutch drivers to in-car guidance such as that currently provided via ALI-SCOUT and to compare these results with those of drivers in the United Kingdom. Data were collected using the IGOR (Interactive Guidance on Routes) route choice simulator. Around 150 people were invited to participate in IGOR sessions. Each session involved the participant in making a series of "journeys" in hypothetical networks presented by the computer, in which they progressed through the network by selecting their preferred exit at each junction en route. The purpose of the exercise was to see how their choice of routes (exits) was effected by various factors including the degree of congestion, the alignement of the exits, the presence of signpost, and by the provision of "advice" (of varying quality) from a route guidance module built into the program. Result: acceptance of the advice depended on the quality of the advice. Advice was rejected on 31% of occasions.