視覚障害者用道路横断帯の標準的敷設法に関する研究(2)

摘要

Tactile guiding lines (TGLs) developed in order to assist blind independent pedestrians in crossing intersections have come into widespread use in Japan. The TGLs are a kind of tactile marker placed on the asphalt pavement of a crosswalk. In a previous experimental study, the tactile sign installed at the entrance to each crosswalk, had been shown to help users find the position and direction of each TGL with improved performance of crossing. However, all subjects had a difficulty in locating the tactile sign at the entrance to the crosswalk because of its small size. As a means to reduce the difficulty, we planned to use the sound of an audible traffic signal (ATS). An ATS speaker, usually attached to a pole holding the pedestrian signal at either side of an entrance to the crosswalk, was repositioned to a place above the tactile sign to help users find the sign more easily. Two field experiments were performed to evaluate the effects of the speaker position on subjects' performance of finding the tactile sign. The results showed that the speaker placed above the tactile sign significantly contributed to better user performance. The position of an ATS speaker should be very attached greater importance in the development of the TGL installation guidelines.