Analysis of the Effect of Non-Driving-Related Tasks on Drivers’ Visual Load

A study in a simulator investigated the impact of non-driving-related tasks on drivers’ visual load during car-following to explore the impact of different types of non-driving-related tasks on drivers’ visual load during car-following. Forty-two participants were subjected to a 3 × 3 mixed design. They engaged in two tasks (mobile game and 1-back) and a control (normal driving) across three distinct car-following scenes. Tobii eye-tracker captured eye movements, and NASA-TLX gauged workload. The analysis revealed that during the mobile game, drivers exhibited shorter fixations and increased saccade frequency, indicating faster and broader saccade compared to normal driving. Visual traits were consistent across scenes, with the exception of the average pupil diameter, which was most prominent during the 1-back task. Visual load rose by 0.1138 in the mobile game but declined by 0.0456 in the 1-back task. This research is essential for improving attention in car-following and advancing driver assistance systems.