Young motorsport drivers have superior vision
Top-ranked young motorsport drivers have superior visual abilities to their sporting peers of the same age, according to new University of Otago research.
The study tested nine up-and-coming drivers aged 14 to 25 against a control group of other active sports people and found the drivers came out on top of all the tests.
Researcher Dr Anthony Schneiders (pictured with test participant) said the drivers were particularly good at identifying objects flashed on a screen very quickly, performing the task 25% faster than their peers.
Faster perception allowed drivers to react faster when passing or to avoid an accident, he said.
“To be a top driver, it’s all often down to perceiving millimetres of difference to get the right line to take you efficiently around a corner or past another car,” said Dr Schneiders.
“When negotiating corners and bends, drivers have to fix their gaze on the exit of the corner while thinking what’s ahead and what cars are around them, as well as adjusting front and rear brake balance and regulating the speed they are going.
“It’s a very demanding sport with uncomfortable physical conditions endured over long periods of time. It’s hot in the protective clothing and you get thrown around and vibrated a lot while experiencing significant G-forces.
“It’s quite remarkable, considering all the factors, how extremely good these drivers are at focusing their vision.”
The research has been well received internationally. The Vodafone V8 Supercar team in the Australian V8 Supercar series has already expressed interest in the research.
Dr Schneiders is keen to expand on his research with a larger sample.