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Training for the unexpected: Enhancing driver preparedness through hazard awareness. A 15-year cohort study
Jorrit Kuipers1, Max Mulder2, Maran Voskes3
1Green Dino BV, the Netherlands; Department Control & Operations, Faculty of Aerospace Engineering, Delft University of Technology, the Netherlands; Department of Learning, Data Analytics and Technology, Faculty of Behavioural, Management and Social Sciences, University of Twente, the Netherlands.
Accident; Analysis and Prevention
|April 1, 2026
Summary
Simulator-based hazard awareness training (HAT) improved novice driver skills during training and supervised driving. However, these benefits did not translate to unsupervised driving, suggesting individual characteristics are key predictors of long-term driving behavior.
Area of Science:
- Road safety research
- Driver training effectiveness
- Cognitive skills development
Background:
- Limited longitudinal data exists on simulator-based hazard awareness training (HAT) outcomes.
- Previous studies primarily focused on immediate post-training effects, not long-term unsupervised driving.
- A 15-year cohort study is needed to assess the lasting impact of HAT on novice drivers.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the long-term effects of simulator-based hazard awareness training (HAT) on novice drivers.
- To compare supervised and unsupervised driving outcomes between HAT participants and a control group over 15 years.
- To identify predictors of post-licensing driving behavior, including training type and personal characteristics.
Main Methods:
- A 15-year longitudinal cohort study involving 2,372 novice drivers in the Netherlands.
- Comparison of a hazard awareness training (HAT) group with a control group.
- Analysis of simulator performance, supervised driving metrics, and unsupervised driving records (violations, errors, accidents), controlling for baseline differences.
Main Results:
- HAT improved simulator performance and supervised driving metrics (e.g., viewing skills, fewer training hours, fewer exam attempts).
- These training benefits did not persist into unsupervised driving; accident involvement and errors were similar between groups.
- Personal characteristics (gender, age, self-assessed competence) were stronger predictors of long-term driving behavior than HAT.
Conclusions:
- Hazard awareness is a trainable skill, but its impact on risk-taking behavior in unsupervised driving is limited.
- Individual characteristics significantly moderate the long-term effects of driver training.
- Focusing on teaching higher safety margins during supervised driving may be more effective for reducing novice driver accident risk than higher-order skill training alone.
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