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. 2021 Feb 20;21(4):1471.
doi: 10.3390/s21041471.

Examination of Driver Visual and Cognitive Responses to Billboard Elicited Passive Distraction Using Eye-Fixation Related Potential

Yongxiang Wang  1 , William Clifford  2 , Charles Markham  2 , Catherine Deegan  1
Affiliations

Examination of Driver Visual and Cognitive Responses to Billboard Elicited Passive Distraction Using Eye-Fixation Related Potential

Yongxiang Wang et al. Sensors (Basel). .

Abstract

Distractions external to a vehicle contribute to visual attention diversion that may cause traffic accidents. As a low-cost and efficient advertising solution, billboards are widely installed on side of the road, especially the motorway. However, the effect of billboards on driver distraction, eye gaze, and cognition has not been fully investigated. This study utilises a customised driving simulator and synchronised electroencephalography (EEG) and eye tracking system to investigate the cognitive processes relating to the processing of driver visual information. A distinction is made between eye gaze fixations relating to stimuli that assist driving and others that may be a source of distraction. The study compares the driver's cognitive responses to fixations on billboards with fixations on the vehicle dashboard. The measured eye-fixation related potential (EFRP) shows that the P1 components are similar; however, the subsequent N1 and P2 components differ. In addition, an EEG motor response is observed when the driver makes an adjustment of driving speed when prompted by speed limit signs. The experimental results demonstrate that the proposed measurement system is a valid tool in assessing driver cognition and suggests the cognitive level of engagement to the billboard is likely to be a precursor to driver distraction. The experimental results are compared with the human information processing model found in the literature.

Keywords: EEG; billboard distraction; driver distraction; driving simulator; event-related potentials (ERPs); eye tracking; eye-fixation related potential (EFRP); human information processing.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
A participant undertaking a test drive with the driving simulator.
Figure 2
Figure 2
A screenshot showing the first-person perspective driving in the driving simulator. The right bottom corner 3D axis legend is added separately.
Figure 3
Figure 3
An illustration of the experiment design.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Examples of digital billboard.
Figure 5
Figure 5
AOI bounding boxes example.
Figure 6
Figure 6
Comparison of average fixations duration in each AOI (white space AOIs, speedometer AOIs, billboard AOIs, speed sign AOIs) between dynamic segment and static segment.
Figure 7
Figure 7
Grand average ERP in 2D topographical plot. (Condition A) Grand average ERP with stimulus event of driver fixation onset at the speedometer follow by speed changing. (Condition B) Grand average ERP with stimulus event of driver fixation onset at the speedometer without speed changing. (Condition C) Grand average ERP with stimulus event of driver first fixation on each dynamic billboard after changing the content. (Condition D) Grand average ERP with stimulus event of driver last fixation on each static billboard.
Figure 8
Figure 8
Grand average ERP of channel ERP plots. Plot (a). Grand average ERP of channel PO1. Plot (b). Grand average ERP of channel Pz. Plot (c). Grand average ERP of channel Cz. Signal A, B, C, D is consistent with Figure 7.
Figure 9
Figure 9
Grand average ERP of channel ERP plots. Plot (a). Grand average ERP of channel P7. Plot (b). Grand average ERP of channel P8. Signal A, B, C, D is consistent with Figure 7.
Figure 10
Figure 10
A basic human information processing model (figure is adapted from [77]).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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