00335179

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http://onlinepubs.trb.org...s/trr/1980/782/782-005.pdf

https://scholar.google.co...RTON&publication_year=1980

Recent studies in Great Britain have suggested that more 700 million pounds sterling/year (1 pound sterling = U.S. $1.80) is being "wasted" by drivers traveling longer distances than are strictly necessary. Most drivers state that they are seeking the shortest or quickest route to their destination, yet studies show that only 50 percent achieve their stated objective. Direction signs and maps are the most common and simplest form of route guidance. An analysis of data collected in Gloucestershire suggests that 86 percent of travelers follow a route that is signposted, that less than 50 percent of the signposted routes are minimum-cost routes, and that to change the signs to make them indicate the minimum-cost routes would require 7 place-name changes/junction, 3 distance or route-number changes/junction, and 1 directional change every 6 junctions. The cost of modifying all the signs in Great Britain to provide more accurate information is estimated at 70 million pounds sterling, and the annual savings that are likely to result from this investment are estimated to be in excess of 180 million pounds sterling. It is possible that the annual savings in fuel and accidents alone will cover the total investment. (Author)

Publication of this paper sponsored by Committee on User Information Systems. Distribution, posting, or copying of this PDF is strictly prohibited without written permission of the Transportation Research Board of the National Academy of Sciences. Unless otherwise indicated, all materials in this PDF are copyrighted by the National Academy of Sciences. Copyright © National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved.

01411600

pp 30-36

1980

Transportation Research Record

59th Annual Meeting of the Transportation Research Board

0309031729

Print

Figures (4) ; References (8) ; Tables (5)

Accuracy; Costs; Crashes; Direction signs; Fuel consumption; Improvements; Minimization; Route guidance; Savings; Travel budgets; Travel costs

Accident costs

Energy; Finance; Highways; Operations and Traffic Management; Safety and Human Factors; I73: Traffic Control

TRIS, TRB

Sep 16 1981 12:00AM

• CAUSES OF VARIATION IN AUTOMOBILE SPEED ALONG A PARKWAY
• EFFECTIVENESS OF WRITTEN TESTS OF DRIVERS' KNOWLEDGE OF RULES OF THE ROAD
• EVALUATION OF SIGNS FOR HAZARDOUS RURAL INTERSECTIONS
• EXPERIMENTAL EVALUATION OF DELINEATION TREATMENTS FOR SPECIAL-USE LANES
• MANDATORY SAFETY-BELT LAW: THE SASKATCHEWAN EXPERIENCE
• STUDY OF WIDTH AND DENSITY OF DELINEATION DESIGN ELEMENTS FOR SPECIAL-USE LANES