The role of curve preview in mitigating the effects of cognitive load on driver gaze control: A comparative study of expert and experienced drivers

While theoretical models suggest that expert drivers, compared to less skilled ones, manage cognitive load through better use of environmental cues and superior anticipatory gaze, empirical evidence remains sparse. This study investigated whether a preview of the upcoming curve mitigate the impact of cognitive load on guiding (GFs) and look-ahead fixations (LAFs) among fourteen expert (UK advanced police drivers) and eighteen experienced non-expert drivers. Results showed that while GF patterns were similar across groups, expert drivers employed longer LAFs during curve negotiation, whereas non-experts relied on more frequent LAFs. Cognitive load disrupted these strategies by reducing LAF duration for experts and LAF frequency for both groups, while also narrowing horizontal dispersion of GFs and LAFs when approaching curves, suggesting the gaze concentration towards the road ahead. Crucially, the preview of the upcoming curve buffered these negative effects, restoring horizontal LAF dispersion regardless of driving expertise. These findings suggest that strategic environmental cues can help maintain anticipatory gaze under cognitive load, providing an evidence-based framework for optimizing road infrastructure and advanced driver assistance systems to mitigate distraction-related risks.