Studying the role of vision in cycling: Critique on restricting research to fixation behaviour

•Vansteenkiste et al. studied cyclists’ viewing behaviour to test the two-level model of steering.•This model has significance for the importance of areas in the visual field but has no bearing on fixation strategy.•Although well conducted, the cycling study failed to include the guidance level.•The stabilization level differed considerably from that in the real world due to very narrow lanes.•The cycling study may be of interest for ‘precision steering’. In a recent study published in Accident Analysis & Prevention, Vansteenkiste et al. (2013) – as one of the first in this field – investigated the visual control of bicycle steering. They undertook the interesting task of testing cyclists’ eye fixation behaviour against Donges’ two-level model of steering, i.e. the guidance level to anticipate alternations in the course of the road and the stabilization level for lane keeping. Although the laboratory experiment itself is well conducted, we believe that its results cannot be used to test the two-level model of steering as developed for driving. The test track was only 15m long, was completely straight and was known in advance. Accordingly, it did not provide adequate conditions for testing the guidance level. Furthermore, as the experimental lanes were much narrower than real-world cycling lanes, the stabilization level differed considerably from that in the real world. The study by Vansteenkiste et al. (2013) may provide valuable insight into the role of vision in ‘precision steering’, but, as we discuss in the paper, more elaborate research paradigms are needed to achieve more comprehensive knowledge of the role of vision in real-world cycling and cycling safety.