Determinants of the willingness to use a web-based safety and security map system: Analysis of data from user evaluation of the map

Abstract

This study examined the causal structure of the willingness to use a web-based safety and security map for community safety and disaster prevention. Several evaluation studies on such web-based maps clarified some of their advantages and/or disadvantages by summarizing user evaluations. However, the previous studies did not show whether local citizens preferred a web-based map over a printed map for community safety and disaster prevention or which factors determined the willingness to use web-based maps. The analytical data for this study were collected through an interview survey of 44 individuals residing in the city of Kameoka, Kyoto prefecture. Since they tended to state greater willingness to use a web-based map compared with a printed map, a web-based map could contribute significantly to sharing community safety and disaster prevention information. Structural equation modeling of the willingness to use a web-based map also suggested that it is important to enable users to imagine clearly the possible uses of the mapping system as well as create an easily understood interface for enhancing the communication of community safety and risk information through a web-based map.