Influence of Roadway Obstacles and Sound Stimulus on the Gaze Behavior of Cyclists

Cycling is becoming increasingly popular, especially in big cities. This is often encouraged through new cycle lanes that provide safer routes for cyclists. However, accidents involving cyclists are increasing and cyclists, as vulnerable road users, often suffer serious injuries. Therefore, it is very important to understand what distracts cyclists or what attracts their attention and how their gaze behavior changes under certain influences in real situations. The main goal of the present study is to assess whether and how objects located on and beside the roadway, and auditory stimuli distract cyclists' visual attention, depriving them of the opportunity to perceive important information while riding the bicycle. The study was conducted at the Berlin University of Applied Sciences. Data on the gaze behavior of the cyclists was recorded using highly accurate Pupil Labs Invisible eye-tracking glasses. For this purpose, 20 tests were conducted with 10 subjects. The test consisted of a predetermined road section containing both types of distractions, with subjects being unaware of them. Three areas of interest (AOI) were defined: frontal, left and right. In each area of interest, six gaze parameters were calculated, compared and analyzed statistically. Significant differences in gaze behavior have been found to exist when comparing auditory versus visual distraction, with the obstacle on the left side of the roadway having a much stronger effect on gaze behavior than the auditory and visual stimuli located on the left sidewalk. It has been found that due to focusing the gaze on the relevant stimulus, more than half of the participants missed the important road sign A39 “Caution! Other dangers”, located 20 m away from the stimulus on the right side of the roadway.