Drivers' Perception of Pedestrians Crossing the Street in Turn Right at Urban Intersection by Using Virtual Reality Driving Simulator

Abstract

The present study proposes a VR headset-based driving simulator (VRDS) as a method to measure drivers' attention allocation when turning right. We will examine whether the VRDS can evaluate the drivers' attention allocation when turning right at a signalized intersection in an urban area. The motion of the right turning vehicle and drivers' eye direction were measured by the VRDS. The results of drivers' eye direction were superimposed on the aerial image recorded from the overhead viewpoint. As a result of experiments with 20 participants using VRDS, the driving scenario that required the driver to look at the gap between on-coming vehicles resulted in more complications with pedestrians when turning right. In addition, a pedestrian from the right turned into the blind spot of the A-pillar, resulting in a collision. Based on these findings, VRDS might be contributed to develop an interface that informs the presence of pedestrians at an appropriate time, which the drivers tend to overlook.