A technique to determine what features of the road and terrain the driver is responding to is presented in this study. The method involves having the driver guide the car while looking through a device containing a small aperture. By decreasing the visual field, the essential information, whatever it is, cannot be seen at once, i.e. the driver is forced to obtain this information in separate visual fixations. A continuous film record is made of the driver's field of view which is later analysed to indicate the centre of his visual aim and the content of each fixation. Using this aperture device, visual positional data were obtained on ten drivers who followed a two-lane low traffic density road. The film records provided 3,305 separate fixations, which were coded for position, distance from the eye, and duration.
Abstract