Parking Manoeuvres Differ among Drivers with Narrower and Wider Field of View in the Presence of a Spatial Reference

Abstract

SummaryParking manoeuvring was studied in a driving simulator. Younger and older participants were classified according to the extent of their visual and attentional fields of view. The manoeuvres were made either in the presence of a spatial reference on the adjacent pavement (a pedestrian or a parking meter) or with no reference. It was found that the length of manoeuvres varied only among younger drivers depending on the type of spatial reference and the extent of their visual and attentional fields. The participants with wider fields took advantage of the presence of a pedestrian or a parking meter, whereas those with a narrower field of view did not. Furthermore, the individuals with a narrower field of view were disturbed by the presence of a pedestrian on the pavement. This study provides new information to consider in relation to the safety of manoeuvring among drivers with different visual and attentional capacities. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.