Driver’s visual perception as a function of age. Using a driving simulator to explore driver’s eye movements in vertical signs

Abstract This research aims to evaluate the impact of age on the driver’s attention and perception of road signs, using a driving simulator. The sample focused on drivers aged between 20 and 60 years, since this age range accounts for the largest number of qualified drivers - almost 75% of the total. As drivers gain more experience on the road, the more likely they are to drive safely and therefore, less likely to crash. However, many young and adult drivers become overconfident in their ability to drive and mistakenly believe they are driving safely. The sample studied was analyzed according to the following age groups: Group I, “young” drivers and Group II, “adult” drivers. The collected data included that from the eye tracking system (SmartEye) and questionnaires applied after the experiment. The test scenario replicated a 10 km stretch of a Brazilian highway were the gaze tracking data allowed the measurement of the following variables: observation time, maximum fixation time of signals and the number of signs observed. Both groups had excellent performances in the Simulator’s Post-Drive Questionnaire, with an average correct rate of 94% for Group I and 89% for Group II. Regarding the data provided by eye-tracking system, Group II proved to be more attentive in perceiving speed signs, although in general, they needed to observe the speed sign for longer to be able to perceive it.