title: Visual Behavior Differences in Drivers Across the Lifespan: A Digital Billboard Simulator Study.
abstract: Driver distraction is implicated in a significant portion of motor vehicle collisions; evidence has suggested that billboards can contribute to such distraction, but many knowledge gaps remain. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of various types of billboards (static, 250-foot digital transition, 500-foot digital transition, and a control [no billboard] condition) and age group (teen, middle, and older) on visual behavior through the use of a driving simulator. To address gaps in the existing literature, the effects of age group and billboard type on the following visual attention variables were considered: percent of time participants looked at billboards, average glance length, number of glances, and glance pattern activity. Significant main effects of age group were found, suggesting that teen drivers exhibited significantly different visual behavior as compared to drivers in the other age groups. An Age Group x Billboard Type interaction for one outcome provided some evidence that percent of time spent looking at billboards significantly increased as billboard transition time increased for drivers, except for older adults, who spent more time looking at static billboards. This study helps lay the groundwork for future studies that may consider how young drivers' differential scanning patterns impact driving safety.
authors.affiliation: University of Alabama at Birmingham, Department of Psychology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, 1300 University Blvd, Birmingham, AL 35294-1170.
authors.forename: Despina
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Stavrinos
authors.affiliation: University of Alabama at Birmingham, Department of Psychology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, 1300 University Blvd, Birmingham, AL 35294-1170.
authors.forename: Peyton R
authors.initials: PR
authors.lastname: Mosley
authors.affiliation: University of Alabama at Birmingham, Department of Psychology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, 1300 University Blvd, Birmingham, AL 35294-1170.
authors.forename: Shannon M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Wittig
authors.affiliation: University of Alabama at Birmingham, Department of Psychology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, 1300 University Blvd, Birmingham, AL 35294-1170.
authors.forename: Haley D
authors.initials: HD
authors.lastname: Johnson
authors.affiliation: University of Alabama at Birmingham, Department of Psychology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, 1300 University Blvd, Birmingham, AL 35294-1170.
authors.forename: John S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Decker
authors.affiliation: University of Alabama at Birmingham, Department of Civil, Construction, and Environmental Engineering, Hoehn Engineering Building 311B, 1075 13 Street South, Suite 101, Birmingham, AL 35294.
authors.forename: Virginia P
authors.initials: VP
authors.lastname: Sisiopiku
authors.affiliation: University of Alabama at Birmingham, Department of Psychology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, 1300 University Blvd, Birmingham, AL 35294-1170.
authors.forename: Sharon C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Welburn