Visual motion perception plays a fundamental role in vehicle guidance. For example, the control of one's trajectory is mainly performed on the basis of visual information about the characteristics of the trajectory and about the spatial layout. In particular, the pattern of optical flow resulting from the observer's self-motion through a stable environment is used by the subject to obtain information about his direction or speed of self-motion. However, little is known about the twofold task of a driver approaching an intersection, where he/she must control both his/her trajectory and detect the motion of other vehicles. In the present experiment, the perceptual ability of observers in relation to their level of driving expertise was evaluated.
Abstract