Examining driver's eye-movements and cognitive workload: an exploratory study using electrooculography

Previous research has suggested a link between cognitive workload and gaze concentration. As mental workload increases, humans begin to stare straight ahead. If drivers' scanning behaviors are attenuated as a result of secondary in-vehicle tasks, then their situation awareness and their ability to react to unpredictable events may be impaired. Using video-based eye tracking technology in a naturalistic setting is notoriously difficult; however, electrooculography (EOG) may provide a reliable, real-time measure of changes in visual scanning under manipulated levels of cognitive workload. This study assessed the viability of EOG to measure changes in scanning behavior when drivers performed common in-vehicle tasks while driving an automobile. Notably, EOG measures were not sensitive to driver's workload, but instead demonstrated that speech production inherent to a task contributes to an additive effect in identified eye movements.