Driving simulator-based study of compliance behaviour with dynamic message sign route guidance

This study uses a hybrid approach that incorporates a driving simulator (DS) in conjunction with a stated preference (SP) survey to analyse driver response behaviour under real-time route guidance through dynamic message signs (DMSs). It seeks to better understand factors affecting the route choice decisions by bridging some of the key gaps that limit the applicability of SP approaches. A 400 km² network southwest of the Baltimore metro area is used for the DS-based analysis with over 100 participants. The results illustrate that past exposure to DMS, travel time savings, DMS information reliability and learning from past experience are important determinants of driver response behaviour in the real world. Moreover, in addition to travel time, inertia and anchoring effects can significantly influence choice decisions. This study also illustrates that the decisions revealed in the simulator experiments at the individual level can diverge significantly from those stated in the SP questionnaire, highlighting the need to go beyond stated intent to analyse the effectiveness of information-based guidance strategies.