Abstract
Competition is, in many ways, a source related to quality in the sense that less competitive firms will be outdistanced through a balance in supply and demand. In high-risk industries, however, safety must be balanced with production, which is not always an easy choice. In the rider training industry, driving schools and instructors teach others how to behave and think in and relate to a complex road traffic system while being vulnerable on a powered two-wheel (PTW) vehicle. Knowing which training is optimal is not easy, but the Norwegian learner curricula and regulations serve as guidelines. However, in competition with other driving schools, this training might be adjusted because of competitive elements in addition to the intentions of the curricula. Thus, our research question is ‘How can competition affect the quality of the rider training system and thus road safety in Norway?’ For this research, sixteen interviews were conducted, and thematic analysis was used for analysing the data. The findings in this study were that competition affects three factors of the rider training system related to safety. These were (1) course-related training, (2) less strict assessment, and (3) test-oriented training. The conclusion is that competition partly has a negative effect on safety in the rider training industry in Norway.
Highlights
Competition1 is viewed as a means to increase quality and supply for customers through a balance in supply and demand and is regarded as a fundamental mechanism in a capitalist economy
Our research question is ‘How can competition affect the quality of the rider training system and road safety in Norway?’
Based on the data collected and analysed, we found three main categories in which competition affected the rider training industry in Norway from a safety perspective: (1) course-related training, (2) less strict assessment, and (3) test-oriented training (Fig. 1)
Summary
Competition is viewed as a means to increase quality and supply for customers through a balance in supply and demand and is regarded as a fundamental mechanism in a capitalist economy. Increased competition in relation to safety in a high-risk industry, such as the transportation sector, is found to potentially increase risk, such as in road, maritime, rail, and aviation traffic (Couper, 2000; Elvik, 2006; Evans, 2013; Grinerud, Sætren, & Aarseth, 2020; Julsrud, Gjerdåker, & Thune-Larsen, 2011; Lobrigo & Pawlik, 2015; Mayhew & Quinlan, 2006; Mooren, Grzebieta, Williamson, Olivier, & Friswell, 2014; Nævestad, Hovi, Caspersen, & Bjørnskau, 2014). The approach on competition and safety is from a system perspective based on the theoretical aspects of Rasmussen (1997) and Reason (1990)
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