Proceedings of the
35th European Safety and Reliability Conference (ESREL2025) and
the 33rd Society for Risk Analysis Europe Conference (SRA-E 2025)
15 – 19 June 2025, Stavanger, Norway
Driving Through the Simulated Night: A Comparison Between Simulator-Based and Traditional Night Driving Training
1Vysus Group, Norway.
2NTNU Samfunnsforskning AS, Norway.
3Arctic Safety Centre, The University Centre in Svalbard, Norway.
4Business School, Nord University, Norway
5Department of Organisation, Leadership and Management, University of Inland Norway
ABSTRACT
The current use of simulators in driver training in Norway is very limited. In this study, we explore how a simulator-based night driving course compares to the current course used in Norwegian driver training. The course is very early in the process of obtaining a license and conducted before the learner drivers are allowed to drive themselves. The goal is that the learner drivers acquire knowledge on the subject of night driving. The effects are compared using multiple-choice tests on the night driving curriculum. In the experimental setup, all participants (n = 142) performed both types of training, and they were compared to a baseline group (n = 80). The simulator-based training led to larger improvements in test scores than the current training, regardless of the training order.
Keywords: Driver training, Learner drivers, Driving simulator, Simulator training, Night driving, Implementing new technology.
