Drivers' Visual Scanning Impairment under the Influences of Alcohol and Distraction: a Literature Review.

Drivers' Visual Scanning Impairment under the Influences of Alcohol and Distraction: a Literature Review.
Curr Drug Abuse Rev. 2015 Jan 7;
Authors: Shiferaw B, Stough C, Downey L
Abstract
Alcohol intoxication and distraction are two of the leading factors associated with impaired driving and fatalities, especially among younger drivers. However, it is currently unclear how these conditions affect mechanisms of visual attention considered essential for driving. The present article first reviews the literature to provide an overview of visual attention as it relates to driving. Secondly, the effects of alcohol and distraction on neurocognitive mechanisms of visual attention are summarised to provide a background which informs discussion of selected driving studies. Visual scanning impairment is identified as a consequence of both alcohol and distraction. Thus, experimental studies combining the use of simulated driving and eye tracking technologies are selected and critically reviewed to assess the relationship between eye movements and driving errors as possible indicators of visual scanning impairment. Seven of the eight studies selected investigated the effects of distraction while only one addressed alcohol. Evaluation of these studies suggests that distraction may affect visual scanning by increasing cognitive load which interferes with visual processing. The evidence for effects of alcohol on drivers' visual scanning capacity is ...

Source: Current Drug Abuse Reviews - January 10, 2015 Category: Addiction Tags: Curr Drug Abuse Rev Source Type: research