Computer games fuel bad driving
The findings, by researchers in Germany, indicate that people who seldom or never play motor racing games are more cautious drivers. Psychologists found that motor-racing game fans were more likely to drive aggressively and be involved in crashes when they got behind a real wheel.
Researchers also showed that after playing just one virtual racing game, men took greater risks in critical traffic situations on a computer simulator. The findings are evidence that playing racing games can result in riskier motoring, say the scientists.
The team, led by Dr Peter Fischer, from Ludwig-Maximilians University in Munich, questioned 198 randomly chosen men and 92 women aged 16 to 45 about their driving behaviour, accident records and the extent to which they played racing games.
After adjusting for factors that could affect the results, such as age, the researchers found that frequent playing of virtual race games was associated with more aggressive and competitive driving behaviour, and a higher number of reported accidents.
The association was stronger for men than it was for women.
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