Daniel Ndiaye

Mechanisms underlying cognitive conspicuity in the detection of cyclists by car drivers

OBJECTIVEnThe aim of this study was to evaluate the visibility of cyclists for motorists in a simulated car driving task.nnnBACKGROUNDnIn several cases involving collisions between cars and cyclists, car drivers failed to detect the latter in time to avoid collision because of their low conspicuity.nnnMETHODn2 groups of motorists (29.2 years old), including 12 cyclist-motorists and 13 non-cyclist-motorists, performed a vulnerable road user detection task in a car-driving simulator. They had to detect cyclists and pedestrians in an urban setting and evaluate the realism of the cyclists, the traffic, the city, the infrastructure, the car driven and the situations. Cyclists appeared in critical situations derived from previous accounts given by injured cyclists and from cyclists observations in real-life situations. Cyclists levels of visibility for car drivers were either high or low in these situations according to the cyclists.nnnRESULTSnRealism scores were similar and high in both groups. Cyclist-motorists had fewer collisions with cyclists and detected cyclists at a greater distance in all situations, irrespective of cyclist visibility. Several mechanisms underlying the cognitive conspicuity of cyclists for car drivers were considered.nnnCONCLUSIONnThe attentional selection of a cyclist in the road environment during car driving depends on top-down processing.nnnAPPLICATIONnWe consider the practical implications of these results for the safety of vulnerable road users and future directions of research.

Do distinct mind wandering differently disrupt drivers? Interpretation of physiological and behavioral pattern with a data triangulation method

MW is damaging for tasks requiring sustained and divided attention, for example driving. Recent findings seem to be indicating that off-task thoughts differently disrupt drivers. The present paper delved into characteristics of off-task thoughts to assess their respective detrimental impact on driving. Twenty volunteers had to declare their MW thoughts and get intentionally involved in Problem-Solving Thoughts (PST) according to instructions. Heart rate and oculometric behavior were collected during the two sessions. Results showed that MW and PST led to a fixed gaze. MW might also led to a cognitive effort necessary to switch from task-unrelated to task-related focus. Similarities and differences between intentional and unintentional off-task thoughts were discussed in greater detail. By designing a detection algorithm, it could be possible to detect disruptive MW during risky situations while permitting the mind to wander when the driving demand is low.

L’immersion sur simulateur de conduite accroît-elle les bénéfices d’un entraînement cognitif dédié aux conducteurs seniors ? Présentation méthodologique

Maintenir l’autonomie des seniors dans des conditions sures est un enjeu de sante publique. Une auto-estimation correcte des capacites cognitives par les seniors permettrait de reguler correctement la conduite automobile en termes d’exposition au risque d’accident et de modifications des startegies de conduite. Ainsi, il existerait des conducteurs ayant une conscience correcte de leurs capacites et d’autres ayant une conscience erronee, parmi lesquels se distingueraient les sur-estimateurs (SE, presentant un risque eleve d’accident) et les sous-estimateurs (SsE, cessant de conduire prematurement). L’objectif est de comparer l’efficacite d’un entrainement cognitif pur a un entrainement cognitif couple a une immersion sur simulateur, tous deux adresses a des seniors presentant un biais d’auto-estimation. Cent vingt conducteurs âges de 70 ans et plus sont repartis en six groupes : 20 SE et 20 SsE realisant un entrainement cognitif seul, 20 SE et 20 SsE realisant ce meme entrainement cognitif associe a une immersion sur simulateur, et 20 SE et 20 SsE controles. La duree totale de l’entrainement est de 36 heures reparties sur trois mois. Les participants recoivent des retours pour les aider a prendre conscience de leurs capacites. Les benefices sont evalues sur simulateur de conduite et sur route immediatement apres l’entrainement puis par un questionnaire en ligne 3 mois apres la fin de l’entrainement. Le transfert des benefices en conditions reelles de conduite est egalement evalue.