The forensic analysis of falls is most commonly reliant on the application of generalized non-case specific research to support whether a person would be likely to gaze in the direction or area of a hazard prior to a fall event. The recent developments of mobile eye tracking systems may allow for direct, on-site evaluations, to assess probability of detection of claimed hazardous conditions. Herein, an evaluation of a mobile eye tracking system is provided based on the application to a forensic case study that involved a transition from one space to another through a door. The results of the initial study were further evaluated in three other areas, with similar settings. The results of two studies demonstrate support for the hypothesis that a person would not look down at the landing area when stepping. However, in achieving these results, we found both support for the utility of the device as well as certain limitations for future use.

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Previous research examining social influences on driving behavior has primarily focused on the effects of passengers and surrounding vehicles (e.g., speed contagion). Of current interest was the interaction between drivers that occurs in a “following a friend” scenario, i.e., the driver of one vehicle (the leader) knows how to get to the desired destination while the driver of a second vehicle (the follower) does not. Sixteen participants drove through a simulated city in a driving simulator under three conditions: (i) a baseline condition in which they could choose their own route, (ii) a navigation system condition in which they were given audible route instructions, and (iii) a “follow a friend” condition in which they required to follow a simulated vehicle. In the follow a friend condition, drivers engaged in significantly more risky behaviors (in comparison to the other conditions) such as making more erratic and higher speed turns and lane changes, maintaining overall higher speed, as well as maintaining a shorter time headway when following a lead vehicle. These effects suggest a relationship to time pressure caused by a fear of getting lost.

Trip-fall incidents are often associated with injuries to pedestrians. Sidewalks are susceptible to changes over time, which may result in height deviations between surfaces, creating potential trip hazards. This research assessed whether members of the general public would identify sidewalk elevation changes of various heights as a hazard, how they would rate the walking conditions in the area of the hazard, and whether they would report the condition to authorities. Results indicate that participants were generally unaware of walking surface deficiencies, even though they may regularly encounter surface defects. When specifically asked to rate conditions, participants were most likely to classify elevation changes greater than 0.75 inches as walkway hazards, and only when conditions reached that level did the majority of participants indicate a likelihood of reporting the condition.