Formation of expectations while driving: Influence of the possibility and the necessity to anticipate on the ability to identify danger

Abstract It is well known that collision avoidance is a driving skill that increases with drivers’ experience, which set up efficient search strategy. However, an automated search strategy that works in most situations may be unsuitable in others. As demonstrated by the “look-but-failed-to-see” accident type, we hypothesise that such unsuitability emerges from a particular combination of driver–task–environment interactions. We test different combinations according to contextual experience of the road-site, the necessity to anticipate danger, and the possibility of doing so. Results show an important difference between the use of environment-related expectations and practice-related ones. Even though contextual experience increased anticipation whatever the situation, knowledge of danger presented some surprising results: it led to appropriate processing of the situation when anticipation was not necessary or was not possible, but it also created a lack of expectation when anticipation was necessary and was possible. We suggest that practice-related expectations “overcome” environment-related ones when hazard need to be anticipated. The outcome of this phenomenon are discussed.