Peugeot has recently conducted new eye-tracking research which has proven car drivers take their eyes off the road for over two miles in a one hour driving whilst driving in urban traffic. The research studied multiple drivers across 25 identical six-mile journeys, using special glasses researchers were able to analyse exactly where their eyes looked whilst driving.
The results have shown on average drivers have their eyes off the road 7% of the time. Putting that into context, during a one drive at 30mph, that equates to travelling a staggering distance of over 3,350 metres without looking at the road – almost the length of 32 football pitches.
In 2016, out of 1445 fatal crashes in Britain that resulted in one more deaths, the police reported 397 incidences of the contributory factor of ‘failure to look’, a further 140 incidences included driver in-vehicle distractions, distractions outside the vehicle, and phone use.
Peugeot commissioned the study to test their innovative i-Cockpit® - which has a smaller steering wheel and raised instrument panel to promote less eye movement during driving. When driving the Peugeot 3008 SUV (which includes i-Cockpit®), the amount of time the drivers eyes were on the road improved from 93 to 95%. Other improvements included the driver checked the speed three times more often than in comparable SUVs, due to the speedometer being in the eye line of the driver.
The testing was undertaken using Tobii Pro Glasses 2, they work by having six small cameras that map where the retina is looking every 0.05 seconds. The driving route included a variety of roads, speed limits and road types.
Peugeot UK Managing Director, David Peel, said: “We all know the dangers of taking your eyes off the road, whether to adjust the radio or the temperature in the car. When you add the continued distraction of mobile phones, talking to passengers, something catching your eye outside the car and even eating or drinking a coffee, it’s easy to see how the average driver could be in control of a car yet not be looking at the road for over 3,350 metres in a one hour journey.
“As the data shows, the i-Cockpit® system helps reduce the need for drivers to look away from the road, and by default enhance driving safety. Having all the critical information within their field of vision enables more information to be read easily and quickly. Importantly though, these findings highlight that we – the drivers – still need to play our part in road safety.”
