Organisation: University of Nottingham, Accident Research Unit
Date uploaded: 13th May 2013
Date published/launched: November 2009
This study investigated whether individuals with ASD (autistic spectrum disorders) are able to identify driving hazards, given their difficulties processing social information
23 adult males with ASD and 21 comparison participants viewed 10 video clips containing driving hazards. In half of the clips the source of the hazard was a visible person (social); in the other half the source was a car (non-social).
Participants with ASD identified fewer social hazards than the comparison participants but not non-social. Participants with ASD were also slower to respond than comparison participants. This suggests that, although people with ASD can perceive driving hazards they may have specific difficulty identifying them if they involve a person.
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Lizzy Sheppard