Gaze-eccentricity effects on road position and steering.

Abstract

The effects of gaze eccentricity on the steering of an automobile were studied. Drivers performed an attention task while attempting to drive down the middle of a straight road in a simulation. Steering was biased in the direction of fixation, and deviation from the center of the road was proportional to the gaze direction until saturation at approximately 15° gaze-angle from straight ahead. This effect remains when the position of the head was controlled and a reverse-steering task was used. Furthermore, the effect was not dependent on speed but reversed when the forward movement of the driver was removed from the simulation. Thus, small deviations in a driver’s gaze can lead to significant impairments of the ability to drive a straight course. Human beings who are active in the environment need to know where they are headed, accurately judge their progress toward a goal, and adapt to unexpected changes in the environment to reach that goal. When one considers tasks of applied navigation such as driving, however, one may be struck by the remarkable automaticity with which such behaviors are performed. Because of the confidence many people have in their ability to navigate effec