Abstract
Ten newly qualified drivers and ten older, experienced drivers had their eye fixations recorded while they drove a series of curves on a rural road. Curves were either open, with full visibility of the roadway ahead, or were closed, with trees and bushes obstructing the view around the curve. The study asked whether fixation of the tangent point would vary according to the visibility of the road ahead, or whether it is invariably required in order to steer around a curve. The results suggested that experienced drivers fixate the tangent point less than novice drivers, and that closed curves, in which there is limited preview of potential hazards, are associated with reduced fixation of the tangent point in comparison with open curves. (A)