Comparing the responses and visual behaviors of older and younger drivers in car-to-cyclist collisions using a driving simulator
DOI: 10.1016/j.jsr.2025.06.027
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Summary
This study investigates how age-related declines affect driver responses and visual behaviors during car-to-cyclist collisions at urban intersections. Motivated by the high risk of intersection accidents involving older drivers and cyclists, the research aims to quantify differences in braking reaction times (BRT) and gaze scanning patterns between younger and older drivers in emergency scenarios. The study specifically addresses how perception time and foot movement time contribute to overall reaction delays and how drivers adjust their visual scans as they approach intersections. The researchers conducted a driving simulator experiment with 24 licensed drivers, divided into younger (mean age 35.3) and older (mean age 73.9) groups. Participants navigated urban road scenarios with varying Time-to-Collision (TTC) settings: 2.0 seconds (Scenario C) and 1.0 second (Scenario D). Using a high-fidelity simulator with eye-tracking technology, the study measured BRT, perception time, foot movement time, and gaze parameters including scan frequency, angle, speed, and fixation time. Statistical analyses, including Mann-Whitney U tests and ANOVA, were employed to compare age groups and assess the impact of distance to intersections and visibility conditions on visual behavior. Results indicated that in the highly urgent 1.0 s TTC scenario, there were no significant differences in BRT between older and younger drivers. However, in the 2.0 s TTC scenario, older drivers exhibited significantly longer BRTs (1.02 s vs. 0.79 s for younger drivers). This delay was attributed to longer perception times rather than slower foot movement times. Regarding visual behavior, older drivers demonstrated significantly lower scan frequencies compared to younger drivers across all distance segments approaching intersections. While both groups increased scan frequency as they neared intersections, older drivers scanned less frequently overall, which contributed to their delayed hazard perception. No significant age-related differences were found in scan angles, scan times, or relative gaze angles at the moment of cyclist appearance. Both age groups prioritized scanning areas with poorer visibility and adjusted scan speed and fixation time to maintain consistent scan durations. The findings suggest that older drivers’ increased collision risk in less urgent scenarios stems from reduced visual scanning frequency, leading to delayed hazard detection, rather than physical motor deficits. The study concludes that interventions such as training programs to improve scanning techniques and the implementation of advanced driver assistance systems could mitigate these risks. By addressing the specific visual behavior deficits identified in older drivers, safety measures can be better tailored to reduce car-to-cyclist collisions at intersections.
Provenance
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| Stage | Outcome | Tool | Model | Prompt | Attempts | Completed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| discover | success | Crossref | — | — | 1 | 2026-06-06 |
| archive | success | canonical_url | — | — | 7 | 2026-06-09 |
| extract | success | cached | — | — | 2 | 2026-06-10 |
| clean | success | clean | — | — | 1 | 2026-06-09 |
| chunk | success | chunk | — | — | 1 | 2026-06-09 |
| embed | success | embed | Qwen/Qwen3-Embedding-8B | — | 1 | 2026-06-09 |
| enrich | success | semantic_scholar | — | — | 1 | 2026-06-10 |
| promote | success | — | — | — | 1 | 2026-06-06 |
| summarize | success | llm | qwen3.6-27b-prismaquant | summ-v5 | 1 | 2026-06-10 |
| tag | success | vector_similarity | — | — | 8 | 2026-06-11 |
| verify | success | — | — | — | 1 | 2026-06-10 |
Summary generated by qwen3.6-27b-prismaquant on 2026-06-10; verification: verified.
Topics
Ranked by relevance to this paper. Hover a topic for its definition.
- looked but failed to see
- eye movements scanning
- hazard perception
- visual
- useful field of view
- attention allocation
Information type
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- Empirical Findings: behavioral performance data
- Methodological Resource: tool software, measurement protocol