Eye movements during intentional car following

Area of Science:

• Cognitive Psychology
• Human Factors in Transportation
• Road Safety Research

Background:

• Intentional car following, such as police pursuits, places significant cognitive demands on drivers.
• Understanding how focused attention during car following impacts overall driving performance is crucial for safety.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate whether intentional car following impairs driving performance by capturing visual attention.
• To assess the effects of car following on driver awareness of pedestrians and adherence to traffic rules.

Main Methods:

• Fifteen participants drove in a simulator under conditions of intentional car following versus navigation by verbal instruction.
• Varied factors included the presence of pedestrians and time of day (day/night).
• Recorded eye movements and behavioral metrics like violations, accidents, and impacts.

Main Results:

• Car following reduced visual search range and increased fixation duration on the lead vehicle, particularly at night.
• Participants in car-following trials showed decreased awareness of pedestrians, more give-way violations, and increased accidents.
• Nighttime driving exacerbated the negative effects of car following on attention and behavior.

Conclusions:

• Intentional car following significantly impairs driving performance and safety due to heightened cognitive load and narrowed visual attention.
• These findings highlight risks for all drivers engaging in focused car following, especially law enforcement.
• Recommendations for training and operational procedures may be warranted to mitigate risks associated with intentional car following.