Does Eyeglance Affect Lane Change Safety: Analysis of Eyeglance Pattern Prior to Lane Change

The driver’s eyeglance patterns prior to lane change can have a major impact on crash risk. This study focuses on the area-of-interest (AOI) in eyeglances related to lane changes, including rearview mirror, left/right window, left/right mirror, windshield, and over-the-shoulder (OTS) checks of corresponding lane change direction. Key AOI characteristics such as type, percentage, duration, timing, and time-varying properties were examined thoroughly. We also evaluated driver attention on the driving task and how it changed over time by event type using the AttenD algorithm to reconstruct eyeglance data into a continuous variable. The AttenD score incorporates the glance history in the profile to reflect how effectively a driver may be allocating attention and storing information about the roadway and other vehicles. A higher AttenD score indicates more attention on primary driving tasks. Baselines had drivers with significantly higher attention scores and lower variance than near-crashes and crashes. This indicates that drivers who conducted a safe lane change tended to look away from the road less often and were more consistent in allocating eyeglances forward and on the surrounding environment.