Using eye-tracking technology and Google street view to understand cyclists' perceptions

For a number of years eye-tracking technology has been used within transport research, particularly with respect to road safety, to gain an understanding of the ability of individuals undertake tasks such as hazard identification. Advances in this technology, specifically with regard to the affordability and portability of eye-tracking devices, are creating a wide range of new research opportunities within the field. This paper outlines the application of such a technology in conjunction with images sourced from Google Street View for the purposes of investigating cyclists' ability to detect hazards within an urban environment. Over the last decade there have been significant increases in both the number of individuals cycling and the quality of cycle infrastructure being provided in Ireland, and specifically in the greater Dublin region. As an increasing number of individuals either start to cycle, or return to cycling after a prolonged break, it is important for researchers to gain an understanding of cyclists' ability to assess potential hazards in complex urban environments. With this in mind an eye-tracking experiment was undertaken with 52 participants. The results of this study demonstrate that while participants were able to successfully identify the hazards in of the scenarios presented, neither cycling experience nor participants' gender appear to be related to hazard identification ability.