The development mode of transportation infrastructure construction has shifted from pursuing speed and scale to prioritizing quality and efficiency. As a result, there is an increased demand for fine-tuning and adapting the tunnel lighting environment. The design of the tunnel lighting system should prioritize the safety and comfort of drivers. Therefore, it is necessary to quantify the impact of tunnel lighting on driver safety and comfort during tunnel driving. Based on the theory of tunnel lighting and driver research, eight indicators that affect driver safety and comfort had been selected to establish a driver safety and comfort evaluation system. Indoor simulation research was conducted through a tunnel driving simulation environment and hardware facilities. A virtual simulation model of the tunnel was established using UC-win/Road software, and data corresponding to the eight indicators were obtained through driving simulators and physiological instruments. After processing the data, the entropy method was used to determine the weights of the indicators, and the safety and comfort of the tunnel under different lighting brightness and color temperature environments were evaluated. The target value of brightness and color temperature in the tunnel were obtained with the goal of achieving the optimal value of driver safety and comfort evaluation. The experimental results confirm the effectiveness of the driver safety and comfort evaluation system, propose an improved lighting scheme, and provide reference for tunnel operators.