Drivers' preferences for traffic information for nonrecurrent traffic situations

The field of advanced traveler information systems (ATIS) has seen many improvements in the past years. These systems are developed to allow drivers or travelers to make better travel choices about travel time reduction or route choice. If such a system is to be generally accepted by drivers, it is necessary to know drivers' preferences for traffic information content, as well as the characteristics of the information the system provides. These preferences should be known for all types of drivers and for all kinds of situations. This paper presents results of a study of these preferences. Although several studies have addressed the subject, little is known about preferences in nonrecurrent traffic situations. By means of an Internet survey, Dutch drivers were asked for their preferences concerning the content of traffic information for different nonrecurrent traffic situations. Statistical testing shows that drivers' preferences differ according to the situation. Important driver characteristics influencing these preferences are current use of the information, driver type, and driver age. Drivers were also asked to choose between different information types, with different characteristics for a generic situation. Results were analyzed with a multinomial logit model. The most important characteristic of the information was cost; however, reliability and timeliness also contributed significantly to the utility of traffic information. Findings indicate that ATIS should be strongly adaptive to the driver and to the traffic situations at hand.