Identifying the Relationship Between Scanning and Executive Functions Among Young Drivers

One aspect of driving that is both critical for crash avoidance and influenced by executive function is scanning, or the pattern of eye glances used to detect hazards. Previous research has shown that drivers with poor executive function are less likely to detect road hazards; however, these studies do not identify the underlying scanning patterns contributing to this poor hazard detection. Therefore, this study aims to (1) quantify eye-tracking metrics among young drivers in simulated driving scenarios specifically designed to tax executive function and (2) associate these eye-tracking metrics with established neurocognitive measures of executive function.