Citation

Zheng MC, Chen CI, Chen CY. Heliyon 2023; 9(8): e18892.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2023, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e18892

PMID

37593640

PMCID

PMC10428066

Abstract

An effective disaster prevention map ensures public safety and efficient evacuation during emergencies. Emergency evacuation information design in Taiwan is in its nascent stages. This study focuses on individuals' understanding, behavior, and decision-making during disaster prevention to devise suitable disaster prevention map norms. We examined the Emergency Planning Zone's existing disaster prevention methods and surveyed the community to understand their disaster prevention concepts and needs. We conducted two experiments: the first tested the comprehension of existing disaster prevention maps and identified their issues, while the second evaluated a redesigned map based on Experiment 1's findings. We discovered that all age groups agree on needing accurate, fast information and diverse evacuation route options. Experiment 1 revealed disproportionate assembly point icons on the existing map, leading to navigation difficulties. The map also failed to mark landmarks, road names, and blocked intersections accurately. The redesigned map in Experiment 2 addressed these issues, showing that improving map information design aids recognition and memory, and bridges wayfinding behavior gaps in people with different spatial abilities. We suggest marking evacuation routes on maps, placing corresponding signs on-site, and locating assembly points near landmarks for easier navigation.

Language: en

Keywords

Wayfinding; Disaster prevention map; Evacuation behavior; Evidence-based design; Static environment information system