●Research Trends and Results
Users’ evaluations of ITS Spot Services in Full-Scale Operation
KANAZAWA Fumihiko, HeadSAKAI Koichi, Senior Researcher
SUZUKI Kazufumi, Researcher
NAKAMURA Satoru, Guest Research Engineer
Research Center for Advanced Information Technology, Intelligent Transport System Division(Key Words) ITS Spot, users’ evaluations
1. Introduction
In Japan, ITS Spot Services had begun full-scale
operation at about 1,600 locations mainly on
expressways nationwide by August 2011.
ITS Spot Services provide road traffic informationand safe driving support related information from ITS
Spots (roadside units) to ITS Spot-compatible carnavigation systems, which then provide theinformation to drivers in visual images and voiceannouncements. Specifically, real time road traffic
information for a wide area with a maximum of
1,000km is transmitted by ITS Spots and the carnavigation units perform Dynamic Route Guidance,
which searches for the fastest route in real time. TheITS Spots also provide safe driving support
information, which alert drivers to sharp curves, thetail end of congestion, fallen obstructions, and so on.

3. Summary
In order for ITS Spot Services to steadily benefit
society by, for example, relieving congestion or
reducing accidents, ITS Spot compatible on-board
units must further penetrate. To do so, informationmust be provided to general drivers so they will easily
understand the effectiveness of ITS Spot Services as
clarified by the monitor survey, and the services must
be improved with reference to the users’ evaluations.
Q. Which region do you live in?
Kyushu/Okinaw
九州・沖縄
a 51 (10%)

51名（10%）

Hokkaido
38
北海道
38名
(75%)
Tohoku19（7%）
東北
19名
(4%)
（4%）

Chugoku/Shiko
中国・四国
ku 53 (11%)

NorthKanto
34
北関東
34名
(7%)

53名 （11%）（7%）

South Kanto99
南関東
99名(20%)（20%）

Kinki 97

2. Users’ evaluations of ITS Spot Services
The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport andTourism has lent ITS Spot-compatible car navigation
systems to about 700 monitors nationwide since 2011
to perform a monitor survey in order to collect theviews of users to be used to clarify the effectiveness ofthe introduction of ITS Spot Services in full-scale
operation, and to study ways of improving theseservices.
The monitors include general drivers, executive
officers, affiliates of Chamber of Commerce andIndustry, affiliates of Trucking Association, busdrivers, taxi drivers, and rental car drivers. Threequestionnaire surveys will be conducted: one on thewebsite and one interview survey from September
2011 to February 2012.
The questionnaire include inquiries regarding
driving purpose, driving frequency, whether monitors
are or are not familiar with the service, situation ofutilization of the service, effectiveness of the service.
Part of the results of the questionnaire surveys areshown in Figure 1. At the time of the survey, theservices had been operating only a short time, so lessthan half of the monitors had received the information.
On the other hand, more than 70% of those who had
experienced receiving information answered that it
was actually “Very useful”, or “Useful”, revealing thatthe users generally gave positive answers regarding
the services.

近畿
97名
(19%)
（19%）

Hokuriku
北陸
26名26
(5%)
（5%）

Chubu
83
中部
83名
(17%)
（17%）

[n=500]Q. Was dynamic route guidance actually useful?
役立った
Useful:
まったく役に立たな
Useless
かった
1%
1%

Neither
useful nor
非常にどちらともuseless Very useful
役立った
いえない
19%
20%

total
71%
計 71%20%

Not very
あまり役にuseful
9%
立たなかった9%

ややUseful 51%
役立った

51%

[n=153]

体験回答者数 153

Q. Was safe driving support information (roadclosures, obstruction information) actually useful?
まったく役に立たな
Useless
かった

2%

2%

あまり役に
Not very
立たなかっuseful
た
4%

4%

役立った
Useful:Neither
どちらともuseful nor
useless
いえない
19%

19%

total
75%
計 75%
非常にVery
useful
役立った
37%

37%
やや

Useful 38%
役立った

38%

体験回答者数 192[n=192]

Figure 1. Questionnaire Survey(Carried out November 2011)[Reference] ITS Spot Service web site
http://www.mlit.go.jp/road/ITS/j-html/spot_dsrc/