It is
well known that the road transportation system comprises three key elements:
drivers, vehicles, and roads. Over time, a large number of studies have been
conducted on each element of the system. It is much more complex to study and
evaluate the relationship between them, which gives us an idea of how road
traffic works as a system and how we can improve road safety through measures
and actions that have a high degree of impact on all these elements of the
system. The current research focuses on studying the driver's gaze as a direct
function between the state of the road infrastructure and his behavior. For
this purpose, a route has been chosen in an urban environment, where there is a
high intensity of vehicle and pedestrian traffic, as well as a complex traffic
organization – numerous road signs and the presence of pedestrian crossings.
They are the focus of the study, as the risk of injury to vulnerable road users
depends largely on the behavior of drivers, which is a consequence of their
interaction with the road infrastructure. Drivers’ gaze behavior was recorded
using high-precision eye-tracking glasses. The results show a different visual
perception of each pedestrian crossing due to different road geometry and signalization.
The study revealed that, despite the crucial role of road signs, drivers
frequently fail to see them due to obstructed visibility or distraction.
Through the analysis of drivers’ gaze behavior, recommendations were made for
the proper placement of crosswalks according to the road geometry, the height
of road signs, and the marking of relevant road signs on the roadway in the
lane for each direction.

• Prof. Dr.-Ing. Borislav Hristov (Projektleitung)

• Universität für Architektur, Bauwesen und Geodäsie Sofia

• Influence of urban road infrastructure on drivers’ gaze behavior
  
  Artikel › Journalartikel › 2025