Use of assistance technology by drivers with homonymous visual field loss

Abstract

Purpose : People with homonymous visual field loss (HVFL) are permitted to drive in many jurisdictions. However, driving simulator and on-road studies suggest some HVFL drivers have delayed responses to blind side hazards and may make more lane boundary crossings than drivers with normal vision (NV). Advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) may help address these difficulties and improve driving safety. We quantified ADAS use by drivers with HVFL and investigated whether usage and preferences differed from those of age-matched NV drivers.

Methods : Current drivers with HVFL and NV, recruited at five sites in the United States, completed a telephone survey to quantify driving patterns, driving difficulties, use of and preferences for nine existing ADAS systems. Recruitment is ongoing.

Results : To date, 41 drivers with HVFL (56% right HVFL, 56±17 years old, 60% male) and 21 drivers with NV (57±16 years, 52% male) with equivalent total driving experience (HVFL 38±18 vs. NV 41±15 years, p = 0.69) completed the survey. The HVFL group drove fewer miles per week (median 70 vs. 150, p = 0.01) and reported greater overall driving difficulty (p < 0.001) (in particular, vehicles on their blind side in the blind spot of their car and pedestrians from the blind side). The two groups did not differ for vehicle age (median HVFL 6 vs. NV 4 years, p=0.17), types of ADAS on their cars and number of ADAS used (median HVFL 4 vs. NV 5, p=0.59). For HVFL drivers who used a specific ADAS, the majority reported that blind spot warning (84%), lane departure warning (64%) and rearview camera (62%) were helpful to compensate for their vision loss. Fewer reported that GPS (47%), forward collision warning (40%) and cruise control (15%) were helpful in compensating. ADAS rated among the top three by HVFL participants included blind spot warning (HVFL 67% vs. NV 48%), lane departure warning (HVFL 43% vs. NV 19%), pedestrian warning (HVFL 35% vs. NV 5%), and GPS by (HVFL 35% vs. NV 62%). Rearview camera was the only ADAS ranked in the top three by the majority of both groups (HVFL 60% vs. NV 57%).

Conclusions : ADAS preferences differed between the groups although ADAS usage patterns did not. HVFL preferred ADAS they thought most likely to help compensate for their vision loss, especially in their most difficult driving situations.

This abstract was presented at the 2024 ARVO Annual Meeting, held in Seattle, WA, May 5-9, 2024.