Abstract
In-vehicle rearview camera displays may soon be required in all new vehicles as a means of providing drivers with increased capability to monitor the area directly behind the rear bumper. The present work extends findings reported by Kim et al. (2012) by conducting more in-depth examinations of drivers’ eye movements to rearview camera displays during backing. Drivers performed a series of backing maneuvers on a closed test course in a vehicle equipped with one of three rearview camera displays (in-mirror (IMD), small console (SD), or large console (LD)) or no display (ND). Drivers wore a head-mounted eye tracker, and eye movements were evaluated with particular focus on four areas-of-interest: the rearview camera display, the rearview mirror, and the two side mirrors. In the present paper, the proportion of time spent gazing at the rearview camera display was evaluated as a function of display location, the type of backing maneuver, and driver age. Gaze durations were longest for the IMD relative to the two console displays, for drivers 18-39 years old compared to older drivers, and when drivers backed into a parking stall between two parked cars relative to other types of backing maneuvers. The age and task factors operated independently of display location.
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