Investigation of user stereotypes and preferences

Neale, Vicki L.; Dingus, Thomas A.; Schroeder, Aaron D.; Zellers, Steven; Reinach, Steven · 1999 · ROSA P / Turner-Fairbank Highway Research Center

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Summary

This study, conducted by the Federal Highway Administration, addresses the lack of practical human factors design guidelines for Advanced Traveler Information Systems (ATIS) and Commercial Vehicle Operations (CVO). The primary objective was to generate specific design recommendations for in-vehicle displays by investigating the stereotypes and preferences of private and commercial drivers regarding information content and presentation. The research was motivated by the critical need to ensure that in-vehicle information supports highway safety without causing excessive distraction or comprehension errors. The methodology involved a multi-stage process to identify and evaluate potential ATIS information items. Researchers first compiled a list of 86 information items from literature, grouping them logically and analyzing each for required attention, comprehension, and action. These items were filtered against existing standards and subjected to trade studies based on safety, driver assistance, and convenience criteria. The final subset of items was evaluated through three distinct studies: a survey of private drivers, a survey of commercial vehicle drivers, and a user clinic. The surveys assessed preferences for various information categories, including motorist services, time/distance to destination, road construction, congestion, and emergency vehicle approaches. The user clinic examined comprehension and preference for specific display designs, such as yellow pages directories, alternate route displays, and alerts for accidents, congestion, weather, and off-route deviations. The results revealed distinct preferences and comprehension levels across different information types and driver groups. For instance, the private driver survey identified significant interactions between demographic factors (age, gender, environment) and preferences for specific information presentations, such as time/distance to destination and road construction warnings. Commercial drivers showed similar patterns but with variations in priority for certain safety-critical information. The user clinic findings indicated that while drivers generally understood alerts for accidents and congestion, preferences for display formats varied; for example, gender influenced preferences for alternate route displays. The study provided detailed frequency distributions and statistical analyses (ANOVA and SNK tests) for each information category, highlighting which display options were most comprehensible and preferred by users. The significance of this research lies in its contribution to the development of precise, evidence-based human factors guidelines for ATIS and CVO displays. By identifying which information items are most suitable for standard development and how they should be presented to minimize misinterpretation and maximize utility, the study offers actionable design recommendations. These findings help engineers and policymakers create in-vehicle systems that align with driver expectations and cognitive capabilities, thereby enhancing safety and usability. The report concludes with general and specific recommendations for ATIS display design, serving as a foundational resource for future iterations of traveler information systems.

Key finding

Design recommendations for ATIS displays were generated based on survey and user clinic results assessing driver stereotypes and preferences for information content and design.

Methodology

survey

Provenance

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Topics

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• feedback modes

Information type

What kind of knowledge this paper contributes, grouped by family — independent of topic (what it is about) and method (how it was studied).

• Applied Guidance: design guidelines
• Empirical Findings: observational prevalence, self report data