What Is Fueling Demand for Driving Simulators Globally?

More than 90% of the road accidents globally are caused due to human error. This alarming statistic is propelling the requirement for driving simulators in the transportation and government sectors. In addition, the rising requirement for logistics and shared mobility services is leading to a strong need for trained drivers. A driving simulator offers training to new and existing drivers by providing a virtual environment powered by AR or VR, with the ultimate aim to make road transportation efficient and safe for drivers, passengers, and everybody else on the road.

Within the simulator type segment of the driving simulator market, the compact simulator category held the largest share in the past. This category is also expected to maintain its dominant position in the coming years. It is attributed to the surging utilization of compact driving simulators for training people on various automobiles, such as off-highway vehicles, cars, vans, and buses. This makes the work of transportation and logistics firms and government agencies easier, as just one system fulfills multiple purposes.

Among the various vehicles driving simulators are designed for, those meant for passenger vehicles were procured in the greatest numbers in preceding years. It is attributed to the increasing production of driverless cars, driven by extensive R&D. These simulators enable automakers to test different features and systems of autonomous vehicles in realistic environments. Essentially, these systems are meant to curb the number of road accidents, which kill 1.3 million people each year, as per the WHO.

Due to the high number of autonomous vehicle R&D projects, most of which are directly supported or sanctioned by governments, North America held the largest share in the driving simulator market in the past. It is also ascribed to the surging number of vehicles on the roads and the strict regulations of governments related to traffic and road safety. Additionally, the region is known for its trucking industry, which, as per the American Trucking Associations, carried 11.84 billion tons, equaling 72.5% of the freight, across the country in 2019, thereby driving the requirement for trained drivers.

Therefore, the growing need to ensure more road safety will boost the demand for driving simulators in the coming years.