Research on Association Thresholds Between Drivers’ Gaze Behavior and Physiological Tension in Conflict Scenarios of Highway Work Zones

Highway maintenance work zones, characterized by lane reductions, speed limit variations, and temporary traffic controls, exhibit exponentially elevated conflict risks and constitute high-incidence accident segments. Leveraging extensive empirical eye-tracking data from highway work zones, this study integrates visual behavior patterns with mathematical statistics to analyze drivers’ fixation duration across distinct gaze points and corresponding psycho-physiological characteristics. By incorporating pupil dilation as a biomarker of physiological tension, we investigate drivers’ gaze patterns under varying traffic flow states and establish fixation time thresholds in conflict environments.Results demonstrate that: At gaze points where fixation duration is ≤500 ms concurrently with pupil diameter >5.5 mm, the proportion of elevated heart rate (indicating physiological tension) is significantly higher. This correlation reveals heightened psychological stress, substantially increasing the probability of traffic accidents. Consequently, employing a quadrant-based threshold criterion combining fixation duration and pupil size proves methodologically sound for driving behavior assessment; Among all gaze points, drivers show fixation probabilities exceeding 10% on the road surface, rear of preceding vehicles, and rearview mirrors when traversing conflict sections, confirming these as primary focus areas.