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Hazard anticipation of young novice drivers - SWOV

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videos, their gaze directions and fixations were recorded. Immediately after<br />

each video, participants were asked what could have happened (that did not<br />

happen) that would have increased the likelihood <strong>of</strong> a crash. It was assumed<br />

that this task primarily tested the ability to detect and recognize latent<br />

hazards. The risk assessment and action selection task consisted <strong>of</strong> twentyfive<br />

photographs. Each photograph was exposed for eight seconds on the<br />

screen <strong>of</strong> a monitor. These photographs were taken from a driver's<br />

perspective. A part <strong>of</strong> the photographs contained imminent hazards (i.e.<br />

visible other road users that would collide with the driver (<strong>of</strong> the<br />

photograph) if no one would change speed and/or course). A part <strong>of</strong> the<br />

photographs contained latent hazards (both covert latent hazards and overt<br />

latent hazards) and a part <strong>of</strong> the photographs contained no hazards at all.<br />

After participants had watched a photograph (during eight seconds) and the<br />

screen had turned black, participants had to respond if they would have (1)<br />

braked in this situation (in case <strong>of</strong> an imminent hazard), (2) released the<br />

throttle in this situation (in case <strong>of</strong> a latent hazard), or (3) would have<br />

continued with the same speed (in case <strong>of</strong> no imminent or latent hazard).<br />

While participants watched the photographs on a monitor, their gaze<br />

directions and fixations were recorded. It was assumed that the responses on<br />

this task would primarily indicate the inclination to take risks as research<br />

with similar sets <strong>of</strong> photographs had shown that there is no difference<br />

between <strong>novice</strong> <strong>drivers</strong> and experienced <strong>drivers</strong> in the ability to categorize<br />

photographs with imminent hazards, latent hazards and no hazards<br />

(Huestegge et al., 2010; Kelly et al., 2010). Participants in three different<br />

groups did both tasks. This was a group <strong>of</strong> <strong>young</strong> learner <strong>drivers</strong> (18 or 19<br />

years <strong>of</strong> age) that were almost ready to do the driving test, a group <strong>of</strong> older<br />

learner <strong>drivers</strong> (25 years <strong>of</strong> age or older) that also were almost ready to do<br />

the driving test and a group <strong>of</strong> experienced <strong>drivers</strong>. On the hazard detection<br />

and recognition task, experienced <strong>drivers</strong> fixated covert latent hazards<br />

significantly more <strong>of</strong>ten than <strong>young</strong> learner <strong>drivers</strong> did and older learner<br />

<strong>drivers</strong> did. There was no significant difference in fixated covert latent<br />

hazards between <strong>young</strong> learner <strong>drivers</strong> and older learner <strong>drivers</strong>. Exactly the<br />

same pattern was visible in the mentioned covert latent hazards. However in<br />

all three groups, on average around 30% less covert latent hazards were<br />

mentioned than fixated. Almost all the participants in all three groups fixated<br />

all the overt latent hazards and there was no significant difference between<br />

the groups in fixated overt latent hazards. In contrast, experienced <strong>drivers</strong><br />

mentioned significantly more <strong>of</strong>ten overt latent hazards than both <strong>young</strong><br />

learner <strong>drivers</strong> did and older learner <strong>drivers</strong> did. There was no significant<br />

difference in mentioned overt latent hazards between <strong>young</strong> learner <strong>drivers</strong><br />

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