Distraction of Experienced Drivers at a Construction Site Using Eye Tracker

More than a million people die and many more are injured every year in road crashes. There are various factors, which affect the chances of a road traffic injury, and many of them can be avoided/ improved to limit the exposure to vulnerable road users. Distraction in traffic is another risk, which is another major concern for planners and policymakers. Driver distraction can result from various factors/sources, which can be from inside a vehicle or outside a vehicle. External distractions may arise due to building/ structure/ people/ activities/ billboards (i.e., road side advertising) along the road, and a driver is attracted to them. The present study attempts to study the distraction patterns of experienced drivers due to external factors (e.g., construction site). The case study is chosen as Ashram intersection in Delhi. A road safety audit of that construction site was performed. Distraction pattern of drivers have been captured using wearable eye-tracker and processed for pre-defined zones. Fixation patterns are analyzed for approach transition, working, and terminal transition zones. The combined heat maps are used to provide an estimated distraction of all the drivers superimposed onto a single frame. The study exhibits that the highly skilled drivers are only marginally affected by the construction site; however, the distraction can be further minimized if recommendations of road safety audits are implemented correctly.