Effect of Speed on Driver's Visual Attention: A Study Using a Driving Simulator

Road crashes are among the main causes of death worldwide, and driver's attention during driving is the major source of such crashes. Moreover, the likelihood of a car crash increases proportionally to increases in speed. This study investigates the influence of vehicle's speed on the characteristics of a driver's attention during the driving task. It was conducted in a driving simulator in a section of an existing highway of a high crash index. The driver's eyes movements were recorded in the virtual scenario at three different speeds, and the following three movement measures were collected: time of fixation (F) (in seconds), number of fixations (N), and mean fixation (F-m). The mixed design experiment was performed with 12 participants, and the results showed a significant difference in both time of fixation and number of fixations between 70 and 90 km/h, and 70 km/h and 110 km/h. The study enabled the assessment of the relationship between speed and drivers' attention, since speed has a correlation with the severity of crashes. Drivers driving at lower speeds tend to assess their surroundings more attentively.