Attention Allocation and Gaze Behavior While Driving: A Comparison Among Young, Middle-Aged and Elderly Drivers

Anamarija Poll, Tomaž Tollazzi and Chiara Gruden ()
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Anamarija Poll: Faculty of Civil Engineering, Transportation Engineering and Architecture (FGPA), University of Maribor, Smetanova 17, 2000 Maribor, Slovenia
Tomaž Tollazzi: Faculty of Civil Engineering, Transportation Engineering and Architecture (FGPA), University of Maribor, Smetanova 17, 2000 Maribor, Slovenia
Chiara Gruden: Faculty of Civil Engineering, Transportation Engineering and Architecture (FGPA), University of Maribor, Smetanova 17, 2000 Maribor, Slovenia

Sustainability, 2025, vol. 17, issue 17, 1-24

Abstract: In 2023, 95.5 million Europeans were aged over 65, falling within the definition of the “elderly population”. According to statistics, this number will rise to 129.8 million by 2050, making Europe the oldest continent in the world. One of the consequences of such growth is a sharp increase in the number of elderly drivers. Although they have more experience, which can positively impact road safety, their performance and health generally decline, limiting some of the physical and mental abilities required for safe vehicle control. The main objective of this research was to shed light on the behavior of elderly drivers by comparing three different drivers’ age groups: young, middle-aged and elderly drivers. Based on analysis of road accidents involving elderly drivers, the road safety situation for elderly drivers in Slovenia was highlighted, a questionnaire was developed to understand how elderly drivers perceive traffic, and an experiment was conducted where 30 volunteers were tested using a driving simulator and eye-tracking glasses. Objective driving and gaze behavior data were obtained, and very different performance was found among the three age groups, with elderly drivers having poorer reaction times and overlooking many elements compared to younger drivers.

Keywords: road safety; sustainable safety; elderly drivers; gaze behavior; driving simulator (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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