Publication Detail

Driver Decision-Making with Route Guidance Information: Background Conceptual Issues and Initial Empirical Results

UCD-ITS-RR-91-08

Research Report

Suggested Citation:
Kitamura, Ryuichi, Paul P. Jovanis, G. Owens (1991) Driver Decision-Making with Route Guidance Information: Background Conceptual Issues and Initial Empirical Results. Institute of Transportation Studies, University of California, Davis, Research Report UCD-ITS-RR-91-08

This project has been conceived as an endeavor toward the development of an in-vehicle route guidance system (IVRGS) as a tool for traffic system operation which is based on a thorough understanding of driver behavior. This report represents the results of an initial step taken toward this goal. Its objective is to present a conceptual and analytical framework developed for the investigation of the driver response to route guidance information. A decision theoretic approach is taken in the study with emphasis on uncertainty elements inherent in route choice. The analysis is concerned with route choice made en route on regular commute trips.

The report is organized as follows. Following a brief summary of a literature review on route choice in Section 2, of typology of information utilized by the driver is presented in Section 3. As a characterization of the environment in which route choice is made, uncertainty elements in traffic systems are discussed in Section 4. Following this, Section 5 presents a conceptual framework for the analysis of route choice as a decision under uncertainty. Section 6 outlines laboratory experiments developed toward the quantification of route choice behavior under an IVRGS. Section 7 summarizes the results of semi-structured face-to-face interviews with Sacramento area commuters which were conducted to gain initial insights into commuters' route choice behavior. Possible generalization of the results is discussed in Section 8, and implications for system design are addressed in Section 9.