Eye Tracking Examination of the Influence of Visual Smog on Drivers in Urban Environments
摘要
This scientific paper presents a comprehensive eye-tracking examination that investigates the influence of visual smog on drivers in urban environments, specifically in the inner circle of the Žilina city, located in Northern Slovakia. Visual smog, characterized by excessive and visually distracting elements in urban settings, such as billboards, signs, and other visual clutter, is the focal point of this study. A group of six drivers, aged between twenty-one and thirty-seven years, participated in the experiment, utilizing eye tracking technology (SMI eye tracking glasses) to gain valuable insights into the potential hazards and implications of visual smog for road safety in cities. The study's primary objective was to assess how visual smog affects drivers’ visual attention, including aspects of cognitive mobility. Contrary to expectations, the results indicate that outdoor advertisements along the Inner circuit route in Žilina had minimal influence on drivers’ behavior, as reflected by a low fixation rate. These findings suggest the need for further research to explore the visibility of outdoor advertisements in urban environments while emphasizing the importance of understanding the broader implications of visual smog on road safety and cognitive mobility, encompassing the cognitive processes involved in safe and effective driving in complex urban environments.