Can Novice Drivers Recognize Foreshadowing Risks as Easily as Experienced Drivers?

Novice drivers (16 and 17 years old) are almost ten times more likely to be involved in motor vehicle fatalities as adults 45-55 (NHTSA 2002). Besides traffic signs and other traffic control devices, there are many cues that help drivers further predict the presence of a potential risk in the driving environment. These cues are called foreshadowing elements (e.g., a pedestrian walking towards a crosswalk). It was hypothesized that given that younger adults have much less experience on the roads, it is more difficult for them to predict where potential cues might be positioned when foreshadowing elements are not present. However, in the presence of foreshadowing elements it was predicted that novice drivers should recognize risks as well as more experienced drivers. This research uses eye movement data gathered on a driving simulator to evaluate the use and effectiveness of the foreshadowing elements by novice and experienced drivers as predictors of areas in a scenario where risks may materialize. The research has potential implications for the sorts of instructional programs that might be developed for novice drivers