Comprehension and acceptability of on-board traffic information: Beliefs and driving behaviour

Co-Drive on-board traffic information system is a complementary tool providing a dynamic management of transportation infrastructure and traffic as well as the diffusion of accurate real-time information about the road environment and motorists' driving behaviour. The aim of this study was to examine drivers' acceptability of Co-Drive by investigating the impact of traffic information provided via on-board display devices on motorists' beliefs and behaviour. 116 drivers (Men=46.6%), between 22 and 62 years, participated to a driving simulator experiment. They were randomly divided into two experimental groups according to the type of display device (Blackberry vs. iPhone) and a control group. The experimental groups were exposed to fourteen on-board traffic messages: warning (e.g., road crash), recommendation (e.g., the use of seat-belt) and comfort messages (e.g., the location of a gas station). They had to validate each message by pushing the headlight flashing button as soon as they understood it. At the end, all participants had to fill in a questionnaire. Drivers evaluated positively the on-board messages, expressed a high level of confidence in the on-board information and estimated having received it sufficiently in advance for them to adjust their behaviour. Regardless of the type of display device, they took more time to read warning and recommendation messages as compared to comfort messages and complied with them. Finally, those exposed to the messages adapted their behaviour easier to the road events than those who did not receive them. Practical implications of the results are discussed.