Eye Movements during Intentional Car following

Abstract

Does intentional car following capture visual attention to the extent that driving may be impaired? We tested fifteen participants on a rudimentary driving simulator. Participants were either instructed to follow a vehicle ahead through a simulated version of London, or were given verbal instructions on where to turn during the route. The presence or absence of pedestrians, and the simulated time of the drive (day or night) were varied across the trials. Eye movements were recorded along with behavioural measures including give-way violations, give-way accidents, and kerb impacts. The results revealed that intentional car following reduced the spread of search and increased fixation durations, with a dramatic increase in the time spent processing the vehicle ahead (controlled for exposure). The effects were most pronounced during nighttime drives. During the car-following trials participants were also less aware of pedestrians, produced more give-way violations, and were involved in more give-way accidents. The results draw attention to the problems encountered during car following, and we relate this to the cognitive demands placed on drivers, especially police drivers who often engage in intentional car following and pursuits.

Driver's visual attention as a function of driving experience and visibility. Using a driving simulator to explore drivers’ eye movements in day, night and rain driving

“…In another study, experienced drivers had shorter fixation durations than novice drivers during the presentation of dangerous driving conditions (Chapman and Underwood, 1998). There is also evidence for a decreased horizontal spread of search at night compared to day in simulated driving (Crundall et al, 2004).…”

“…In a review of the related literature findings Underwood (2007) suggested that the efficiency of visual search strategies is one of the fundamental changes in skill that marks the transition from novice to experienced driver. In addition, visual attention has been considered as a contributing factor for traffic crashes (Crundall et al, 2004). It is possible that the high crash rates of young drivers under night and rain conditions could also be attributed in part to the lack of adaptation in their visual strategies.…”

Eye Movement Patterns and Driving Performance

“…Carter and Laya (1998) found that experienced drivers, as compared to novice drivers, had longer fixation durations while the standard deviation of fixations did not differ between the two groups. Crundall, Shenton and Underwood (2004) found that during intentional car following, drivers had longer fixation durations and a smaller range of fixations. Other studies have found that the presence of mental tasks lead to a decrease in the standard deviation of gaze position (Recarte & Nunes, 2000, 2003Victor, Harbluk & Engstrom, 2005).…”

Perceptual Disappearance of a Visual Object in a Driving Situation

“…However, previous studies have shown that novice drivers (Chapman & Underwood, 1998) and fatigued drivers (Schleicher, Galley, Briest, & Galley, 2008) do tend to fixate at one spatial location. Furthermore, other studies have revealed that drivers are likely to have this tendency when they are engaged in cognitive tasks, such as spatial imagery tasks (Recarte & Nunes, 2000), and are intentionally following cars ahead (Crundall, Shenton, & Underwood, 2004). Therefore, the present study suggests that, at least in specific situations, perceptual disappearance may frequently occur in real driving situations.…”