A complete airport road access wayfinding allows senior drivers and airport users to find their direction to the airport intuitively. Senior drivers instinctively search the road and cues as to where to go next on their journey. If a journey unfolds in an understandable way, senior drivers are able to read the environment and make a quick decision to continue their journey. The key points from this chapter are summarised as follows:
1. Using landmarks to provide orientation cues and memorable locations is highly recommended. Landmarks help senior drivers to visualise their present position (i.e. location) and next intended destination. A landmark can be of a large scale so that senior drivers are able to view it from a wider area or a series of well-located architectures, such as significant street trees, a park or distinctive building.
2. Consistent signage at decision points should be provided in order to help senior drivers’ wayfinding and with minimum signage installed to avoid confusion.
3. Clear visual lines should be enhanced to allow the senior drivers to see what is ahead and how to get there easily and with safe navigation from that point to the destination.
4. Avoid excessive signs information which can be confusing during navigation to the airport.
5. Navigating to unfamiliar spaces or a first-time drive to an airport consumes a lot of time and creates a stressful journey if drivers are unable to make a quick decision at decision points. Airport road access wayfinding should be efficient to facilitate and navigate senior drivers to the airport.
Airport road access is the portion of the public right-of-way that provides a separated area for people or senior drivers travelling. Safe, accessible and aesthetical roadways may encourage driving to the airport. Creating a complete airport road access environment involves more than laying down a road lane or installing a traffic sign. A truly viable road access system involves both the big picture and the smallest details, from how and why the road is built, to what type of traffic signs are installed and with a consideration of the architectural design.
Accessible design is the foundation for airport road access wayfinding and should be planned, designed, operated and maintained so as to be usable by all drivers including senior drivers.
In order to develop airport road access wayfinding which is accessible to senior drivers, several functions of road transport should be considered as follows; (1) Linkage; Airport road access connects cities to the airport area, an airport building to another, and to activities and places (e.g. roadway, traffic signs, pavement, information board and wayfinding); (2) Transportation; Airport road access provides the surface and structure for a variety of road transport modes (e.g. private car, taxis and buses). Airport road access for motor vehicles, emergency services, and maintenance services for airport purposes should be developed; (3) Access. Airport road access provides public access to the airport terminal, car parking space or other airport buildings; (4) Public right-of-way;
Space for utilities and other infrastructure is usually a hidden function of the street. Airport users have the right to access some roadway in the airport ground’s area; and (5) Sense of place; The street is a definable place which is a place for people to interact; it is the heart of a community.
Finally, the traffic signs (element of wayfinding) for car drivers (including senior drivers) should be considered fundamentally differently than to the terminal interiors design (Harding et al., 2011). The traffic signs’ users are in moving vehicles at much higher speeds. The focus should primarily be directed at road lanes and safe driving manoeuvres, including interaction with other objects such as pedestrian crossings and warning signs. Therefore, senior drivers will be safer and find it easier to navigate by using their previous experience of the airport roadway signs. Harding et al. (2011) also highlighted that by making airport roadway wayfinding (i.e. traffic signs) look, feel and operate like other roadway signs, the needs of the drivers (including senior drivers) are better served.
3 AIRPORT ROAD ACCESS WAYFINDING DESIGN AND DRIVING BEHAVIOUR
3.1 Introduction
Research objectives and research questions are revisited as follows:
To measure the impacts of alternative airport road systems on driving behaviour.
1. What are the key factors that may influence safe driving behaviour?
2. How should the impacts of alternative airport road access design on driving behaviour be measured?
3. What are the impacts of alternative airport road access wayfinding design on driving behaviour?
Chapter 3 reveals the research on airport road access wayfinding design and driving behaviour. It discusses standard designs of airport road access wayfinding, which take into account the senior drivers’ preferences to navigate to the airport and the importance of safe driving behaviour in the airport area.
Section 3.2 generally discusses accident rates at selected UK airport road access. Drivers’ characteristics mainly being focused on drivers’ attention, ability to process wayfinding information and vision will be discussed in Section 3.3. The impact of airport road access wayfinding design on senior drivers’ safe behaviour are covered in Sections 3.4 and 3.5, with Section 3.6 considering the factors to be measured in simulated driving scenario tests. Research methodology focussed on airport road access wayfinding design and the impact on senior drivers’ behaviour is measured in Sections 3.7, 3.8 and 3.9. An analysis of driving simulation data using Frequency Analysis and Two-Way ANOVA tests is presented in tables and graphs in Sections 3.10 to 3.13.
Contributory factors that lead senior drivers to suffer road accidents and perform unsafe driving behaviour are identified in Section 3.14. Chapter 3 concludes with a validation of the driving simulator in airport road access
wayfinding research with an inclusion of a summary of the drivers’ mistakes and performance during the simulated driving trial.