Influence of Driving Experience on Visual Search, Attentional Cue Utilization, and Inhibitory Control: Implications for Driving Performance

Background: Driving requires the integration of visual search, attentional processing, cue, and response inhibition. Driving experience and regular driving exposure may influence these cognitive processes, but their relative effects across specific cognitive performance remain unclear. Methods: This cross-sectional inter-group comparative study included 47 subjects—23 experienced and 24 non-experienced drivers. Participants completed visual search, Posner cueing, and stop-signal paradigms using PsyToolkit. Group differences were analyzed using parametric and non-parametric tests, with correlations assessing associations between driving experience and cognitive performance. Results: Experienced drivers showed a lower mean SSRT than non-experienced drivers (226.9 ± 20.1 ms vs. 237.3 ± 10.9 ms; unadjusted p = 0.028), with the difference reduced after Holm correction (adjusted p = 0.056). Mean Go reaction times were similar between groups. In the cueing task, experienced drivers showed reduced reaction times for both valid (~410 ms) and invalid (~470 ms) trials (U = 125.5, p = 0.001), indicating more efficient attentional reorienting. Visual Search Time was also lower in experienced than non-experienced drivers (median 950 ms vs. 1050 ms; p = 0.238). Conclusion: Driving experience was associated with faster inhibitory responses and better attentional efficiency, with smaller differences in visual search performance. These findings suggest experience-related cognitive adaptation and support the inclusion of attention and response-inhibition training in non-experienced driver education.