Novice drivers' eye movement patterns in potentially hazardous pedestrian events: Differences between novice drivers with high and low hazard perception skills

This study examines drivers’ fixation sequences and compares them to the responsiveness measured in a driving simulator. The assessment is based on a comparison of driving simulator based hazard detection skills with eye movement patterns. Sixty-three 18-24-year-old male drivers’ response to a pedestrian potentially crossing the street was examined and used as indicator of hazard perception skills (HPS). Drivers’ eye movements were examined to gain information about differences in scanning patterns between drivers with high and low HPS. Drivers with high HPS, fixated on the pedestrian continuously and had more multiple fixations on the standing pedestrian than drivers with low HPS. Moreover, more drivers that did not respond to the hazard did not fixate on the speedometer and if they did so, then mostly only once. The results show that novice drivers with high HPS differ in their eye movement patterns from drivers with low HPS. Moreover, drivers with low HPS pose an even higher risk as they consider their speed less often than drivers with high HPS.