Title: Modelling visual distraction effects on driver's perception and cognition

Authors: Jean-Charles Bornard; Thierry Bellet; Pierre Mayenobe; Dominique Gruyer; Bernard Claverie

Addresses: IFSTTAR (LESCOT), 25 Avenue F. Mitterrand, 69675, Bron, France; ENSC, 146 rue Léo Saignat, 33076 Bordeaux, France. ' IFSTTAR (LESCOT), 25 Avenue F. Mitterrand, 69675, Bron, France. ' IFSTTAR (LESCOT), 25 Avenue F. Mitterrand, 69675, Bron, France. ' IFSTTAR (LIVIC), 14 route de la minière, 78000 Versailles-Satory, France. ' 146 rue Léo Saignat, 33076 Bordeaux, France

Abstract: This article presents a computational modelling approach for negative effects simulation of visual distraction while driving. In order to investigate these effects, an experiment was implemented on a driving simulator. Empirical data collected shows that visual distraction impacts the driving performance at perceptive and behavioural levels. The aim of this study was also to investigate and to simulate the distractive effects on driver's mental models. Indeed, driving decisions and behaviours are based on a temporal-spatial mental model, corresponding to the driver's situational awareness (SA). In case of visual distraction requiring off-road glance, mental model updating may be imperfectly done and driver's actions are thus based can differ on the situational reality. From these, a perception module, interfaced with cognitive functions of a computational model named COgnitive Simulation MOdel of the DRIVEr, was developed and implemented for simulating visual distraction effects and human errors risks at perceptive, cognitive and behavioural levels.

Keywords: cognitive simulation; computational modelling; car drivers; visual distraction; situation awareness; temporal-spatial mental representation; driver distraction; driver perception; driver cognition; driving simulation; driving performance; mental models; modelling; human errors; error risk; driver errors; vehicle safety.

DOI: 10.1504/IJHFMS.2012.050072

International Journal of Human Factors Modelling and Simulation, 2012 Vol.3 No.1, pp.48 - 65

Received: 02 Jan 2012
Accepted: 28 Jun 2012
Published online: 29 Aug 2014 *

Full-text access for editors Full-text access for subscribers Purchase this article Comment on this article