The effect of navigation modalities on driver performance, workload and user experience: a simulator study

Marius Brudvik Norell; Birgitta Thorslund

doi:10.55329/ckxn1339

Authors

Marius Brudvik Norell Linköping University, Sweden
Birgitta Thorslund Linköping University, Sweden

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.55329/ckxn1339

Keywords:

driver performance, driver test, driving simulator, navigation modality, Northern Europe

Abstract

Young novice drivers are overrepresented in crash statistics, highlighting the need for effective training interventions. Swedish authorities have discussed simulator-based screening tests to improve licensing outcomes. This study investigated how visual versus auditory navigation instructions affect driving performance, cognitive load, and user experience in a driving simulator. A highly relevant comparison as the real-world driving tests uses auditive navigation through an examinator. Fifty students at an automotive high school with prior driving simulator experience were assigned to either a visual or auditory instruction group. Participants completed urban driving scenarios with intersections and roundabouts, while metrics such as speed, lane positioning, acceleration/braking, distance to other vehicles, and adherence to traffic rules and instructions were recorded. Cognitive load and user experience were assessed post-drive using NASA-TLX and Likert-scale surveys. Participants receiving auditory instructions committed significantly fewer breaches than those with visual instructions, suggesting there is less driving performance compromise in the auditory navigation condition as compared to the visual navigation condition. No significant difference between groups appeared for cognitive load. These results suggest that auditory instructions better reflect real-world driving test conditions and may enhance the ecological validity of simulator-based screening tests for novice drivers.

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Author Biographies

Marius Brudvik Norell, Linköping University, Sweden

Marius Brudvik Norell received his Bachelor in Cognitive Science in 2024 and is receiving a Master in Cognitive Science in 2026. His interests are traffic safety and education along with HMI and human behaviour in complex systems. Since 2024 he has been working part-time as a research assistant at The Swedish National Road and Transport Research Institute.

CRediT contribution: Conceptualization, Data curation, Formal analysis, Methodology, Writing—original draft, Writing—review & editing.

Birgitta Thorslund, Linköping University, Sweden

Birgitta Thorslund received her PhD in Disability Science at Linköping University 2014. Since 2022 she is an associate professor in Cognitive Science at Linköping University, department of Computer and Information Science. Her research focuses on human factors in traffic safety and the main part of her work is related to driver education and the use of driving simulators.

CRediT contribution: Funding acquisition, Project administration, Supervision, Writing—review & editing.

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