Detection and response to critical lead vehicle deceleration events with peripheral vision: Glance response times are independent of visual eccentricity
Journal article, 2021

Studies show high correlations between drivers’ off-road glance duration or pattern and the frequency of crashes. Understanding drivers’ use of peripheral vision to detect and react to threats is essential to modelling driver behavior and, eventually, preventing crashes caused by visual distraction. A between-group experiment with 83 participants was conducted in a high-fidelity driving simulator. Each driver in the experiment was exposed to an unexpected, critical, lead vehicle deceleration, when performing a self-paced, visual-manual, tracking task at different horizontal visual eccentricity angles (12°, 40° and 60°). The effect of visual eccentricity on threat detection, glance and brake response times was analyzed. Contrary to expectations, the driver glance response time was found to be independent of the eccentricity angle of the secondary task. However, the brake response time increased with increasing task eccentricity, when measured from the driver’s gaze redirection to the forward roadway. High secondary task eccentricity was also associated with a low threat detection rate and drivers were predisposed to perform frequent on-road check glances while executing the task. These observations indicate that drivers use peripheral vision to collect evidence for braking during off-road glances. The insights will be used in extensions of existing driver models for virtual testing of critical longitudinal situations, to improve the representativeness of the simulation results.

glance behavior

response time

driver behavior

secondary task

peripheral vision

driver model

Author

Malin Svärd

Chalmers, Mechanics and Maritime Sciences (M2), Vehicle Safety

Volvo Cars

Jonas Bärgman

Chalmers, Mechanics and Maritime Sciences (M2), Vehicle Safety

Trent Victor

Volvo Cars

Chalmers, Mechanics and Maritime Sciences (M2), Vehicle Safety

Accident Analysis and Prevention

0001-4575 (ISSN)

Vol. 150 105853

Quantitative Driver Behaviour Modelling for Active Safety Assessment Expansion (QUADRAE)

VINNOVA (2015-04863), 2016-01-01 -- 2019-12-31.

Subject Categories

Other Mechanical Engineering

Other Engineering and Technologies

Neurosciences

Applied Psychology

Other Electrical Engineering, Electronic Engineering, Information Engineering

Driving Forces

Sustainable development

Areas of Advance

Transport

DOI

10.1016/j.aap.2020.105853

More information

Latest update

12/21/2021