Perceptual Load in Different Regions of the Visual Scene and Its Relevance for Driving

Marciano, Hadas; Yeshurun, Yaffa · 2015 · Crossref

DOI: 10.1177/0018720814556309

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Summary

This study investigates the impact of perceptual load on driving safety, specifically examining how attentional demands in central (road) versus peripheral (roadside) regions of the visual scene affect driver performance. Motivated by the high prevalence of inattention-related collisions and previous laboratory findings that perceptual load dictates attentional selectivity, the authors sought to determine if these effects translate to realistic driving environments. Prior research had largely ignored systematic manipulations of perceptual load in driving contexts or relied on indirect dual-task paradigms that did not alter the driving environment itself. The researchers employed a driving simulator with 38 participants who drove through suburban scenarios. They orthogonally manipulated central load (vehicle congestion on the road) and peripheral load (pedestrians, buildings, and parked vehicles on the sides) to create four conditions: low-low, high-low, low-high, and high-high. Critical events, such as sudden braking or pedestrians crossing, were introduced in both central and peripheral regions. Performance was measured via whole-scenario metrics (median speed, 90th-percentile speed, collision count) and event-specific responses (reaction time, distance traveled before response, and collision proportion). The results demonstrated that perceptual load significantly influenced driving performance, but the nature of the effect depended on the region of the load. Central load primarily affected driving speed; drivers traveled faster under low central load and slower under high central load. Peripheral load primarily affected the detection of critical events originating from the roadside. Crucially, an interaction was observed: high peripheral load impaired performance (increasing reaction times and collision rates for peripheral events) only when central load was low. When central load was high, the detrimental effects of peripheral load were mitigated, likely because attentional resources were fully consumed by the road, preventing distraction from the periphery. Additionally, drivers were generally slower to react to peripheral events than central ones, reflecting a natural bias toward attending to the road. The study concludes that perceptual load is a critical factor in driving safety, with distinct implications for central and peripheral regions. The findings replicate previous laboratory results using simple stimuli, confirming that high central load can protect against peripheral distractions by consuming attentional resources. The authors argue that future research on driving safety must account for perceptual load in different visual regions, as the interplay between central and peripheral demands significantly alters driver behavior and collision risk.

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Topics

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• peripheral attention
• road complexity
• useful field of view
• visual
• mental demand
• attention

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• Empirical Findings: behavioral performance data
• Methodological Resource: measurement protocol
• Theoretical Contribution: theory or model