Research on the impact of driving environment complexity on driving safety based on Driver Sky View Index (DSVI).

Quan, L; Chen, Y; Su, D; Yan, A; He, Y · 2026 · PubMed Central

DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0347999

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Summary

This study addresses the lack of quantitative metrics for assessing how urban environmental complexity impacts driving safety. As urbanization increases the visual information drivers must process, excessive visual load can lead to distraction and compromised safety. Existing indicators often rely on static viewpoints or single factors, failing to capture the dynamic, driver-centered visual experience. To bridge this gap, the authors introduce the Driver Sky View Index (DSVI), a novel metric that quantifies environmental complexity by measuring the proportion of visible sky in the driver’s forward field of vision. The research aims to establish a measurable link between this spatial-visual baseline, driver visual load, and safety outcomes. The methodology involved developing a DSVI extraction method using 3D street scene modeling and semantic segmentation of street-view images from Chongqing, China. A virtual reality simulation was constructed with nine scenarios across three road segments characterized by high, medium, and low DSVI levels. Twenty-four participants engaged in simulated driving tasks while their visual and operational responses were recorded using eye-tracking technology and a synchronized behavior recording system. The study employed an entropy weight–rank sum ratio (EW-RSR) composite algorithm to quantify the impact of DSVI thresholds on driving safety, analyzing variables such as reaction times, pupil area changes, and gaze behavior. The results demonstrated that DSVI significantly affects driver behavior and visual characteristics. There was a strong linear correlation between DSVI and driving load (R² = 0.641, p < 0.05). Analysis of small-target recognition revealed that drivers exhibited shorter and more consistent reaction times in medium DSVI environments. In contrast, low DSVI conditions resulted in longer, more variable reaction times and reduced stability in target detection. High DSVI environments also showed increased reaction times, particularly at segment transitions, likely due to reduced cognitive vigilance in open visual fields. The study identified that optimal driving safety and recognition efficiency occurred when DSVI values ranged from 0.241 to 0.397. Dangerous points, defined as reaction times exceeding 1,500 ms, were most frequent in low DSVI segments and at the beginning of high DSVI segments. The significance of this research lies in providing DSVI as an innovative, quantitative indicator for evaluating and optimizing urban traffic environments. By linking specific sky view ratios to measurable safety outcomes, the study offers a practical tool for urban planners and traffic engineers. It suggests that maintaining DSVI within the identified optimal range can enhance driving comfort and safety by balancing visual enclosure and information density. This approach moves beyond traditional static indices, offering a behaviorally validated method to mitigate visual overload and improve road design in complex urban settings.

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Summary generated by qwen3.6-27b-prismaquant on 2026-06-26; verification: verified.

Topics

Ranked by relevance to this paper. Hover a topic for its definition.

• road complexity
• useful field of view
• traffic density
• external distraction
• visual occlusion
• mental demand

Information type

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• Methodological Resource: metric or index, tool software
• Theoretical Contribution: theory or model