The Chain of Visual Factors, Visual Characteristics, and Driving Behavior at Highway Tunnel Entrances

To explore the impact of guiding and warning visual combination factors at the entrance sections of highway tunnels on drivers’ visual characteristics and driving behavior, this study recruited 16 drivers to conduct on-road vehicle experiments at the entrance sections of the Yunling Tunnel’s left bore (with visual combination factors) and right bore (without visual combination factors). Seven visual characteristics and driving behavior indicators, including pupil diameter and vehicle speed, were collected and statistically analyzed. Representative indicators such as pupil diameter, standard deviation of fixation point position, and vehicle speed were selected to establish a trend surface model of visual characteristics and driving behavior. The results indicate that when driving at the entrance section of the left bore, drivers’ pupil diameter and fixation duration were significantly lower than those at the entrance section of the right bore. With the increase in the sweeping view angle, there was a more dispersed distribution of fixation points. Additionally, there were significant differences in the acceleration and lateral deviation of the driving vehicle, with the range of variation narrowing by 52.5% and 35.7%, respectively. The trend surface model results show that under the influence of visual combination factors, the reduction in drivers’ vehicle speed was smaller, and the impact of pupil diameter and standard deviation of fixation point position on vehicle speed was less pronounced. Overall, under the influence of visual combination factors, drivers’ visual characteristics showed significant changes, with improved speed control and manipulation levels, leading to more stable vehicle operation.