As drivers become more experienced many changes have been observed in their patterns of visual search. Differences between novice and experienced drivers are particularly marked in demanding or hazardous road situations and this has led researchers to speculate that limitations in search patterns may explain some of the accidents where newly qualified drivers are involved. This paper reports a training intervention that informs novice drivers about their typical patterns of visual search and stresses the need for scanning multiple locations in the visual scene for sources of potential danger. Two groups of drivers were evaluated on three occasions over the course of their first year after gaining a full driving licence. The evaluations involved recording drivers' eye movements while driving a route on real roads in traffic, and while watching videos of hazardous situations. One of the groups received the training intervention before the second occasion of testing. The intervention produced notable changes in the drivers' search patterns in both situations though not all changes were still detectable at a final phase of testing three to six months after the intervention had been delivered. (Author/publisher)
Abstract