Effects of head restriction on drivers' eye movements and errors in simulated dangerous situations

Abstract

2 groups of 15 undergraduates each tracked a segment of a life insurance company driver-training film by manipulating the controls of a Drivo-Trainer station. One group had their heads restricted during the session, the other did not. Restriction of the head resulted in more driving errors and fewer (a) long eye movements; (b) driving adjustments to critical events to the left of the driver's field of view; and (c) fixation errors, especially overshoots. Eye-movement frequency was positively correlated with driving adjustments and negatively related to driving errors. It is concluded that (a) driving performance is better when the eye-head compensatory system is able to move freely, (b) head restriction may bias the distribution of fixation locations, and (c) the frequency of shifting fixations may be negatively correlated with driving errors. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved)