For several years, road safety specialists have put forward the hypothesis whereby over-lengthy visual processing of in-car information may result in loss of vehicle control. Several writers report that whilst the duration of eye contact varies with the system being tested, on the whole drivers take their eyes off the road for no longer than two seconds at a time. Indications are now available as to the effect on driving performance of new devices on the instrument panel. However the data here is not always consistent and remains incomplete. This is why research was carried out in the actual driving situation in an attempt to understand the organisation of drivers' visual strategies and the actual amount of time they spend on capturing and processing in-car information with respect to a particular driving aid in a given driving situation.
Samenvatting