liu.seSearch for publications in DiVA
Change search
CiteExportLink to record
Permanent link

Direct link
Cite
Citation style
  • apa
  • ieee
  • modern-language-association-8th-edition
  • vancouver
  • oxford
  • Other style
More styles
Language
  • de-DE
  • en-GB
  • en-US
  • fi-FI
  • nn-NO
  • nn-NB
  • sv-SE
  • Other locale
More languages
Output format
  • html
  • text
  • asciidoc
  • rtf
The visual search patterns of drivers with Autism Spectrum Disorders in complex driving scenarios
Curtin Univ, Australia.
Curtin Univ, Australia.
Karolinska Inst, Sweden.
Linköping University, Department of Medical and Health Sciences, Division of Community Medicine. Linköping University, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences. Region Östergötland, Anaesthetics, Operations and Specialty Surgery Center, Pain and Rehabilitation Center. Curtin Univ, Australia.
2019 (English)In: Journal of Transport & Health, ISSN 2214-1405, E-ISSN 2214-1413, Vol. 14, article id 100597Article in journal (Refereed) Published
Abstract [en]

Background: Driving is a highly demanding task which presents itself with various unpredictable and potentially hazardous situations. The failure to visually scan the driving environment and strategically search for potential road hazards, can be considered as unsafe driving practices. Little is known about how licensed drivers with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) visually scan the roads while driving. The present study assessed the visual scanning and fixation patterns of drivers with and without ASD during a simulated drive. Methods: Twenty-eight licensed drivers between the age of 18-40 years old, including 14 drivers with ASD (male = 13) driving at least 2 h per week participated in a simulated drive with 14 matched controls. Psychometric profiles and visual scanning patterns on various objects of interest were analysed between groups. Results: Drivers with ASD were found to fixate and spend significantly more time focusing on the central visual field and less time scanning where hazards potentially emerge. They also tended to allocate less visual attention on social stimuli (i.e., involving a person), and failed to stop in time at the red lights. Psychometric profiles confirmed poorer visual scanning and motor processing speed but less risk-taking behaviour in drivers with ASD. Conclusion: Licensed drivers with ASD were found to allocate visual attention differently compared to licensed drivers without ASD. Poor scanning patterns with an over-focus on the road ahead and less scanning of the road side and periphery may possibly result in unsafe driving. However, risk-taking behaviour was not prevalent in these drivers. Effective visual scanning strategies could be incorporated in the driver training of individuals with ASD.

Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
ELSEVIER SCI LTD , 2019. Vol. 14, article id 100597
Keywords [en]
Autism spectrum disorder; Asperger syndrome; Eye-movements; Scanning; STISIM driving simulator; Transportation
National Category
Infrastructure Engineering
Identifiers
URN: urn:nbn:se:liu:diva-161176DOI: 10.1016/j.jth.2019.100597ISI: 000487982100039OAI: oai:DiVA.org:liu-161176DiVA, id: diva2:1365718
Note

Funding Agencies|Australian Government Research Training Program ScholarshipAustralian GovernmentDepartment of Industry, Innovation and Science

Available from: 2019-10-25 Created: 2019-10-25 Last updated: 2024-07-04

Open Access in DiVA

No full text in DiVA

Other links

Publisher's full text

Search in DiVA

By author/editor
Falkmer, Torbjörn
By organisation
Division of Community MedicineFaculty of Medicine and Health SciencesPain and Rehabilitation Center
In the same journal
Journal of Transport & Health
Infrastructure Engineering

Search outside of DiVA

GoogleGoogle Scholar

doi
urn-nbn

Altmetric score

doi
urn-nbn
Total: 50 hits
CiteExportLink to record
Permanent link

Direct link
Cite
Citation style
  • apa
  • ieee
  • modern-language-association-8th-edition
  • vancouver
  • oxford
  • Other style
More styles
Language
  • de-DE
  • en-GB
  • en-US
  • fi-FI
  • nn-NO
  • nn-NB
  • sv-SE
  • Other locale
More languages
Output format
  • html
  • text
  • asciidoc
  • rtf