Eye movements are a key behavior for visual orientation in traffic situations and for vehicle control. Although some studies address the cognition of dangerous situations while driving, little is known about the development of visual orientation in novice drivers. Recent studies show that effective ways of eye guidance are directly related to the recognition of dangerous situations. In the present eye movement study, we especially looked at the first months of driving experience compared to expert driving while looking at static traffic scenes with varying degrees of danger. These scenes were already evaluated by previous RT studies with N=2025 drivers. Relevant parameters will be discussed: the development of the functional field of view, efficiency of individual scan path routines, time of first fixation on danger, and danger processing time with respect to relevant theoretical conceptions and previous studies in the field. (Author/publisher)
Samenvatting