Are Gamers Safer Drivers?

thecarchik writes "Racing video games: many of us play them and love them. But do they really make us better drivers, as some say, or do they make us more dangerous on real-life tarmac? Two studies go head-to-head on the issue."

Comments

No

[Anonymous Coward]

What makes you a better driver is:

- Respect for other people on the road
- Courteous driving
- Attentiveness to road conditions and what others are doing.
- Doing a defensive driving course that teaches you how long it *actually* takes to stop.

I have not RTFA (proper slashdot style!) - if it states that gaming effects different attitudes then I am all for changing my opinion.

Re:No

[mark-t]

What makes you a better driver is:

• Respect for other people on the road
• Courteous driving
• Attentiveness to road conditions and what others are doing.
• Doing a defensive driving course that teaches you how long it *actually* takes to stop.

Quoted for truth. Most video games, save those that perhaps are specifically geared towards teaching safe driving practices (of which I've heard of exactly zero outside of any sort of classes or programs for driver's education ), do not typically reward any of the above, and a person who plays driving video games will not be practicing any more than anybody else who is behind the wheel of a real vehicle just as frequently. At the very worst, playing driving games could possibly even create bad driving habits as the above practices are ignored.

Re:No

[Totenglocke]

You're confusing the different meanings of the word "better". You mean "better" as in "friendlier to other drivers", where this study means "better at actually driving the car" (judging angles for corners, slow-in-fast out with corners, learning how hard of a corner you can pull and the warning signs of when you're getting close to the limit, etc).

In regards to your comment about a driving course that teaches you how long it "actually" takes to stop - there are SO many different factors involved in braking that there is no "actual" time / distance it takes to stop from a given speed for cars in general - hell, even ONE car if you change the brake pads, rotors, tires, and suspension can have two dramatically different braking distances.

The real key to being a good driver is to know your car. That's one of the reasons I strongly advocate manual transmissions - not only does it cut out the whole "I've got a burger in one hand and a cell phone in the other" driving, but it also requires you to intimately know your car and pay more attention, which makes you a much better driver.

Re:type of game matters!

[lxs]

Road rage carries over to discussion forums I see.