Advertisement

Laboratory Wars: Do Video Games Make Drivers Safer Or More Dangerous?

 
12 9,117 views Jan 31, 2011
Follow Nelson

Sebastian Vettel drives the Red Bull X1 Prototype in Gran Turismo 5

Related Photo Galleries


See more photos »

Racing video games: we all play them, many of us love them. They give us an outlet for the days when we can't get to an actual track, and, for the better simulations, can even help us hone our edge in the off-season. But do they really make us better drivers, or do they make us more dangerous on real-life tarmac? Two studies go head-to-head on the issue.


The first, which we brought to you last September courtesy of the University of Rochester, says video games enhance reaction time and improve the likelihood that a gamer will make the right decision under pressure.

The University's researchers even applied the findings to driving on the road, saying, "As you drive, for instance, you may see a movement on your right, estimate whether you are on a collision course, and based on that probability make a binary decision: brake or don't brake," surmising that people exposed to fast-paced video games would be more likely to make the right decision.

But on the other side of the issue we have a new study released today by Continental Tire in the print edition of Metro. Contrary to the Rochester results, Continental finds that frequent players of titles like Gran Turismo and Grand Theft Auto are more likely to crash their real-life cars than those that don't.

"Gamers take more risks than non-gamers, possibly due to the lack of real consequences in the game," said Tim Bailey, Continental safety expert. The type of risks taken? Running red lights, road rage, and low-percentage passes.

What do you think? Is it possible that both are correct, but focusing on different aspects of the issue? Or are games the devil, corrupting the sanity and skill of our youth, turning them into Nick Hogans, minus the yellow Supra? Let us know in the comments below.

[University of Rochester, The Sixth Axis]

See our flagship site TheCarConnection for the latest car reviews and news.


HI-RES GALLERY: Sebastian Vettel drives the Red Bull X1 Prototype in Gran Turismo 5




Tags:
Posted in:
 
 

Have an opinion?

  • Posting indicates you have read this site's Privacy Policy and Terms of Use
  • Notify me when there are more comments
Comments (12)

  1. fb_100000079225802 avatar Samuel Choi Posted: 1/31/2011 12:57pm PST

    Gran Turismo is a simulator. GTA is a game for morons. Don't compare them.
     
    Post Reply
    Vote
    Bad stuff?

  2. Deutsch Posted: 1/31/2011 1:06pm PST

    Different games spawn different types of drivers. If you play Grid, or NFS SHIFT then I think you are more likely to make the right decision, because in those games one little tick of another car or wrong move and you spin out and have to restart. If you are playing other games, such a Burnout, or Grand Theft Auto, I think you are more likely to get into crashes and not pay as much attention because in the game you can run into a million things and still win the race and get money. I think this is rather obvious, REAL racing games, based on the racing line and reality make you a better driver, FAKE racing games that mis-represent the reality of driving, whether by unrealistic handling or unrealistic consequences of mistakes, make you a worse driver. Alles Schön!
     
    Post Reply
    Vote
    Bad stuff?

  3. TypoNinja Posted: 2/1/2011 1:11am PST

    I'd say its a mix. Gamers are more likely to take risks because of a general mentality, not about lack of real consequences but the fact that in every game the path to victory is aggression. Gamers as a group would be more likely to be more aggressive divers than the average person of another group.
    However, those who play action oriented games are more likely to have better reaction speed, and higher situational awareness. This makes them more likely to turn a marginal situation into a near miss. Something like an FPS or racing sim game trains you to make split second decisions while maintaining as high an awareness of your surroundings as possible. This makes a gamer more likely to avoid an impending accident.
     
    Post Reply
    Vote
    Bad stuff?

  4. McAnix Posted: 2/1/2011 2:10am PST

    Agreed. I think gamers are probably better drivers in terms of reaction speed and insight, but if they haven't developed the proper skills for defensive/safe driving this could be a handicap. It simply takes several years of CONSCIOUS careful driving - i.e. defensive driving - to learn the small corners, signs and warnings that could lead to an accident (well, either that or learning the hard way that bumperhugging is for the suicidally inclined).
    That said, I think it would be great if computer games also simulated situations where the risks are largest, to show people what CAN happen - in everything from bumper hugging to driving more slowly on a street where there's a lot of trucks / cars on the side (and where that runaway toddler might suddenly pop out to run across the street) as well as trying drunk driving to see what it does to your skills (although I would guess most gamers know this intuitively already). That gives people a chance to experience the risks without the dangers, and hopefully they will then apply this knowledge in everyday traffic. Maybe Gran Turismo should include a few such sims for drivers to practice on.. I like to think of myself as a good driver, but there's always room for improvement.
     
    Post Reply
    Vote
    Bad stuff?

  5. PKM Posted: 2/1/2011 3:02am PST

    Has anyone considered that, statistically, gamers may be more likely to be risky drivers because they are more likely to be young males?
    Or, alternatively, that people who enjoy driving recklessly might be more likely to play racing games?
    Pirates don't prevent global warming, and correlation doesn't imply causation.
     
    Post Reply
    Vote
    Bad stuff?

  6. Jason Posted: 2/1/2011 5:06am PST

    Without having read the details of the report I can only surmise that a person more likely to play a racing or violent video game may also be younger or have a higher testosterone level. Both are contributors to risky behavior. So there could be an outside cause for both the video game playing and the risky behavior occuring in the same person. Lets remember that correlation does not equal causation.
     
    Post Reply
    Vote
    Bad stuff?

  7. bugme143 Posted: 2/1/2011 5:35am PST

    As a gamer, I can attest that I have noticed that I react faster than most of my peers who are non gamers. However, I also do notice that I will take a few risks at the same time, and I have been trying to correct that.
    It really is just looking at two sides of the same coin. With a proper driving instructor, people can break habits formed by videogames.
     
    Post Reply
    Vote
    Bad stuff?

  8. Neil Posted: 2/1/2011 5:41am PST

    I'm with PKM. What were the demographics of the test subjects? That will shed a lot of light on the validity of either study.
     
    Post Reply
    Vote
    Bad stuff?

  9. Jgates Posted: 2/1/2011 6:40am PST

    Just like a drug or a gun, it depends on the person. Its the way the person interprets and plays the game. I try my hardest not to crash in game. I drive with just as much caution in game as i do a real car. GT has taught me A LOT over the 13yrs I've been playing and to say its made me a dangerous driver is ludicrous. If some stupid kid makes stupid decisions in a real car, its likely he does the same in the game. Stupid is as stupid does. :)
     
    Post Reply
    Vote
    Bad stuff?

  10. Garrett Posted: 2/1/2011 9:57am PST

    I think playing simulation driving games will make you a much better driver in less then ideal conditions.
    These types of games give you a great understanding of driving physics that the average motorist doesn't have access to.
    Faster reaction times are another benefit but not as important as the one mentioned above I believe.
     
    Post Reply
    Vote
    Bad stuff?

  11. gPod Posted: 2/1/2011 2:06pm PST

    I grew up playing way alot ofGrand Tourismo, one of my favorite racing games, along with many other racing sims. I find those games have made me a better driver, being aware of my surroundings, quickly identifying and reacting to upcoming dangers or objects, and continuosly calculating all the physics affecting the car. GT really affected this because I remember spending hours tweaking the different aspects of the cars suspension and wheels etc, and analyzing how this made the vehicles react. I consider myself a much better driver than my peers, but it is also something I am passionate about, so that has probably influenced my driving greatly. The best thing I think the good sim games can kind of teach is the limits of what a car can do, without necesarrily strapping in to one in real life. I find alot of bad drivers I see either have more powerful vehicles than they should have, or they dont know how it reacts under different conditions. Living in Canada and having pretty crazy winter driving conditions, I see so many accidents caused simply beacuse the driver wasn't aware of the physics affecting their vehicle. Like Garret suggested, many of these games give you a better understanding of driving physics, especially in poor conditions.
     
    Post Reply
    Vote
    Bad stuff?

  12. Siv Posted: 2/2/2011 2:17am PST

    The key point is ascertaining whether the reports looked at gamers who play non-realistic driving games versus hard core simulations like Forza and Gran Tourismo.
    There is a world of difference between the likes of GTA and Forza where Forza teaches you about smooth acceleration, fine braking and that miniscule twitch you get from the chassis and tyres when the car is on the edge of adhesion at high speed.
    GTA teaches you that you can drive through lamp posts and still win the game??
    If you are a hard core Forza or Gran Tourismo player you probably have all assists turned off and revel in avoiding hitting walls and other cars and getting the best clean lap.
    You will certainly be tweaking and understanding the setup of the car and learning how camber brakes and diff should be set to get the best grip and turn in so understand how it all works where the average car driver probably has absolutely no idea how suspension and differentials work.
     
    Post Reply
    Vote
    Bad stuff?

 

Have an opinion?Join the conversation!

Contribute
Send us a tip Comment Contact the editor
Follow Us

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

Research New Cars

Go!


More from High Gear Media

 
 
MotorAuthority
  • Follow Us
  • Twiiter
  • Facebook
 
 
© 2013 MotorAuthority. All Rights Reserved. MotorAuthority is published by High Gear Media. Stock photography by Homestar, LLC. Send us feedback.