A complex cognitive-psychological function through which road users (drivers, pedestrians, and cyclists) receive, process, organize, and interpret sensory information from the road environment, creating a dynamic and realistic mental representation of the situation they are facing at the moment. Traffic perception is not limited to direct visual observation, but involves the multisensory integration of vision, hearing, and sometimes proprioception and touch (e.g., vehicle vibrations), which allows for the creation of an accurate perceptual-temporal map of the road. From a neuropsychological point of view, traffic perception is closely related to the work of the parietal lobe (responsible for spatial relationships), the frontal lobe (decision-making and predicting outcomes), and the limbic system (regulation of emotional responses). Thus, it is not just a mechanical reflection of stimuli, but an active process involving selective attention, working memory, and executive functions. A lack of traffic perception directly leads to inaccurate decisions and risky behavior, which increases the likelihood of accidents. Thus, knowledge of the rules of the road is the cornerstone of preventive behavior on the road and the foundation on which the rest of the psychological functions of driving are based: attention, planning, decision-making and control of emotions. Levels of perception of traffic:
1) Primary sensory level: perception of visual and auditory stimuli (recognition of traffic lights, vehicle movement, engine noise).
2) Perceptual-cognitive level: organization of these stimuli into meaningful units (recognition and distinction of a slow-moving car or a group of pedestrians preparing to cross the road).
3) Predictive level: Predicting the future development of a traffic situation through mental modeling, i.e., running internal models in the brain to predict what will happen in a few seconds.