Racing Games Encourage Risky Driving?

[Acert93]

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17690830/

Personally, I found the reverse for myself. I am not a big risk taker in regards to anything that could cause me or others harm. But that is one of the joys of games! I can do things I would never do in real life, or that which are impossible, and have a good time of it. No need to drive crazy with my car, just load up Motorstorm and have a blast. When I want to be aggressive on the corners and pass with oncoming traffic and to indulge the thrill of reckless driving I can load up any number of games. Or if I want to race a $100k car I will never own and take a coarse so aggresively I am sure to wipe out a number of times. Stuff I would never do in real life and I find that with games, especially as they become more realistic, I would never imagine being wreckless when I can do essentially the same thing, many times over, from the saftey of the couch.

Ps- I drive like a grandmother. I dislike speeding and have never been pulled over for anything, always use my turning signals, stop at all posted stop signs and lights, always wear my seatbelt, and typically like the car completely silent so I can be completely focused on the road. YMMV, but my video game driving doesn't reflect my real life driving at all!

 

[Corwin_B]

Ps- I drive like a grandmother. I dislike speeding and have never been pulled over for anything, always use my turning signals, stop at all posted stop signs and lights, always wear my seatbelt, and typically like the car completely silent so I can be completely focused on the road. YMMV, but my video game driving doesn't reflect my real life driving at all!

Same here. Racing games only remind me of how dangerous I would be if I drove faster in real life.
I suck at driving games something fierce, which doesn't mean I don't like them.

 

[phat]

Speaking from experience, Gran Turismo encourages real-life risk-taking much more than the more overtly criminal games like Need for Speed and Burnout.

Phat

 

[V3]

From some people that I know, they used to go from Daytona to racing on Highways. So there are probably some truth to that. But they are car nuts though, they spends over hundred thousands of dollar on their cars.

 

[Sankari]

I don't know. Games have no effect to me like that. I really don't take risks while I'm driving. Knowing the forces that are in matter of hand. I'd like to keep my self alive, however I do drive a bit faster than most people probably and I lose my mind in driving lights but I never drive trough red lights. I have to say that I hate people who drive like they are going with a bicycle. 60km/h road and they go 30km/h, thats not even funny. Driving too slow compared to the others only generates more risks to others. Especially when you are going to join the motorway, if you go 60km/h there and not 80-100km/h (before you are even going to join the road) you are creating insanely risky situation for the people coming behind you. You don't have to drive fast but atleast go by the limits!

 

[Arwin]

From having been in the position to study people's behavior after leaving a LAN party, most people are risky drivers first, and then they start playing GT. Generally, though, it is very clear to me that a game like GT satisfies a certain need for speed, and it certainly teaches you to respect your grip-levels, because when you spin off at 200km, you don't need realistic damage to cringe when you hit that rail.

 

[macabre]

IMO playing racing games only helped me to have better reaction in critical situations.
There were a few situations where "gaming style" evasion was a real life saver for me.

 

[Arwin]

IMO playing racing games only helped me to have better reaction in critical situations.
There were a few situations where "gaming style" evasion was a real life saver for me.

Yes, same for me. Fast, automated reactions to certain situations have been very beneficial. The last time I saw proof was december, when I was driving an old car and I had to brake on a wet surface, and managed to avoid hitting the car in front by at the last bit steering the car to the left of that car onto a safe area (stopping 0.5m in front of a traffic sign). Just that instinctive decision to avoid te car in front of me like that came from all the times someone in a LAN game braked too soon ... we have a very strong ethic on not hitting other cars, especially from the rear, in our LAN competitions.

For the same reason my awareness of cars around me has greatly improved, as well as my capability to feel when a car is losing grip (my driving instructor actually tested me on these things during my driving lessons)

 

[Phil]

Not at all in the slightest for me either. I drive quicker when am being in a hurry in my daily car getting from A to B in a hurry rather then when taking the 'fast' car out on hot summer days into the near by black-forrest. Or maybe not...

 

[wco81]

When I used to play Spy Hunter a lot and then encounter people holding up traffic, I felt like ramming them off the road.

 

[Npl]

Looking back a decade it was a huge amount of luck I had no serious accidents, but nowadays I drive quite safe.

On topic, I drive fast if Im stressed or if I play loud music, Games actually counter the first point
I doubt playing Racers has a measureable sideeffect of your real life driving (not counting the minority of really messed up persons having trouble seperating those two), but looking around I see a disturbing correlation between fast-car-nuts and fanatic GT-Players.

 

[mrcorbo]

I think it may not apply to many here as most of us are fairly mature, but I can definately see this affecting a younger person who may not fully understand the possible consequences of their risky behavior. I, for one, would never want to live with the knowledge that I crippled or killed someone because I was looking for an extra thrill. This above and beyond even any concerns for my own person or property.

This having been said, I do find that a racing mindset does carry over from my in-game to RL driving and that I will find myself unconciously taking racing lines into and out of corners, for example (not to the degree that I cross over into another lane, of course).

 

[RobertR1]

Yet again, the media are a bunch of f'in idiots.

Those drawn to racing and racing games are there due to their passion for speed. So by default you're likely someone who likes speed to be associated to playing racing games. People who like speed will drive fast regardless.

Ofcourse it's easier to pick on video games than established racing organizations.

I'd say watching racing events, live or on TV, are much more influential due to the reality factor.

I'd say as much video games promote aggressive driving on public roads, they offset it by acting as a form of release for others as discuessed in this thread.

 

[jb]

Well,

my take is on this... I have been playing a lot of Test Drive: Unlimited lately. And while I am still carefull as always...when I come to a corner and slow down to stop/turn/ect in the back of my mind I am thinking, if I was in my Enzo right now...

 

[zed]

(just cause you and ppl u know maybe youre not influenced some ppl are) eg at work ive heard ppl talking about driving their cars like theyve been doing in games.
2 months ago i saw someone injure their foot cause he was showing off some of the kicks in a film he saw last night ( shit i laughed ), theres countless examples of kids getting injured by trying wrestling moves, or stunts theyve seen on tv.

saying that playing a game, watching violent films etc doesnt make some ppl more likely to do these acts, is disillusioned.
should we ban games/films/drugs etc? hell no
burying your head in the sand and saying theres no relationship is not helpful IMO

 

[NERO]

When I used to play Spy Hunter a lot and then encounter people holding up traffic, I felt like ramming them off the road.

Thanks for making me laugh like a fool right in front of my co-workers.
----
I'll admit that driving games have entered my psyche in some ways. For example the ways I deccelerate/accelerate into corners or full-stop. The car-jacking not so much.

 

[jandar]

Racing games let me vent and not drive like a madman.

Listening to NIN Wish makes me want to drive 500 mph more than any game could.

 

[patsu]

I'm not a safe driver to begin with...

After playing MotorStorm demo for 30 minutes to an hour, I sometimes find the urge to accelerate the car when going over a hump. This happens about 5 minutes right after the game.

Not a big deal though.

 

[Cheezdoodles]

Article is true

I cannot drive right after i have played a game like GTA, because when i do, i disregard traffic rules.

I cannot drive after having played GT or Forza, when i do, i try to overtake everybody on the highway.

I cannot drive when i have a beautiful girl in the passenger seat (happend today, and she had a very short skirt), because i try to look up her skirt while driving.

I cannot drive when i'm in a hurry, or tired, because that makes me drive very fast. (Anybody else heard the infamous Mercedes-Benz navigation lady saying "Achtung Achtung, deine automobile ... ..... 250 kilometre ....."?? <- dunno how to type stuff in german )

Tbh, its not very often when i can drive properly.

 

[macabre]

Not at all in the slightest for me either. I drive quicker when am being in a hurry in my daily car getting from A to B in a hurry rather then when taking the 'fast' car out on hot summer days into the near by black-forrest. Or maybe not...

Hey I also use to drive around in the Black Forest, usually at warm sundays ,also rather slow.
But there is a certain road that I know really well, and on that I really like to race uphill. The problem is I don`t have my fast car anymore.