Environmental Cues Involved in the Visual Anticipation of a Collision

Abstract

An experimentation was carried out to test the role of global and local visual information on the visual anticipation of a collision. We simulated a driver's approach to an intersection where another vehicle was arriving This vehicle could reach the intersection 1000 msec, 500 msec or 200 msec before or after the driver. The road surface (uniform or textured) and environmental cues (delineation lines) were manipulated. Subjects had to anticipate, by pressing as quickly as possible one of the two buttons placed on the vehicle's wheel, whether the other vehicle would arrive before of after them at the intersection. Results show that the visual anticipation of a collision depends on various visual cues included in the road environment, such as the road texture or delineation lines. They are consistent with previous findings that showed that the sensation of self-motion is increased by the presence of a structured environment.