Han Lei, Du Zhigang
School of Traffic and Transportation, Shijiazhuang Tiedao University, Shijiazhuang, China.
School of Transportation and Logistics Engineering, Wuhan University of Technology, Wuhan, China.
Traffic Inj Prev. 2025;26(1):52-60. doi: 10.1080/15389588.2024.2382251. Epub 2024 Aug 9.
The objective of this study was to investigate the relationship between eye-catching effects and mental workload at highway tunnel entrances. Specifically, the study aimed to analyze drivers' eye blink behavior to gain a comprehensive understanding of how visual attraction at tunnel entrances affects cognitive workload.
50 participants were recruited for the naturalistic driving experiment. Four different visually attractive driving scenarios (baseline, landscape-style architecture, tip slogan, and billboard) were selected. Eye-tracking technology was utilized to record and analyze the eye blink behavior of participating drivers. Various metrics, including blink frequency, blink duration, inter-blink interval, and pupil diameter after a blink, were measured and compared across different scenarios.
The results of the study demonstrated significant differences in drivers' eye blink behavior across the different experimental scenarios, indicating the influence of visual attraction conditions on mental workload. The presence of eye-catching stimuli (landscape-style architecture, tip slogan, and billboard scenarios) at tunnel entrances resulted in decreased blink frequency, shorter blink duration, longer inter-blink intervals, and larger pupil diameter after a blink compared to when no specific eye-catching stimuli were present (baseline condition). These findings suggest that visual attractions capture drivers' attention, leading to increased cognitive workload and attentional demands.
The findings of this study contribute to the existing literature on driver attention and mental workload, particularly in relation to eye-catching effect in tunnel environments. The presence of eye-catching stimuli at tunnel entrances can distract drivers and increase their mental workload, potentially compromising driving performance and safety. It is crucial for transportation authorities and designers to carefully consider the design and placement of visual attractions in tunnel entrances to minimize distraction and cognitive workload. By doing so, driving safety and performance can be enhanced in tunnel entrances.
本研究的目的是调查高速公路隧道入口处的醒目效果与心理负荷之间的关系。具体而言，该研究旨在分析驾驶员的眨眼行为，以全面了解隧道入口处的视觉吸引力如何影响认知负荷。
招募了50名参与者进行自然驾驶实验。选择了四种不同视觉吸引力的驾驶场景（基线、景观式建筑、提示标语和广告牌）。利用眼动追踪技术记录和分析参与驾驶的驾驶员的眨眼行为。测量并比较了不同场景下的各种指标，包括眨眼频率、眨眼持续时间、眨眼间隔和眨眼后的瞳孔直径。
研究结果表明，不同实验场景下驾驶员的眨眼行为存在显著差异，表明视觉吸引力条件对心理负荷有影响。与没有特定醒目刺激的情况（基线条件）相比，隧道入口处存在醒目刺激（景观式建筑、提示标语和广告牌场景）会导致眨眼频率降低、眨眼持续时间缩短、眨眼间隔延长以及眨眼后瞳孔直径增大。这些发现表明，视觉吸引力会吸引驾驶员的注意力，导致认知负荷和注意力需求增加。
本研究的结果为现有关于驾驶员注意力和心理负荷的文献做出了贡献，特别是与隧道环境中的醒目效果相关。隧道入口处存在醒目刺激会分散驾驶员的注意力并增加他们的心理负荷，可能会影响驾驶性能和安全性。交通部门和设计师必须仔细考虑隧道入口处视觉吸引力的设计和位置，以尽量减少干扰和认知负荷。这样做可以提高隧道入口处的驾驶安全性和性能。
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