| In the past, computer games have been blamed for | | | | It's just a shame there are quite so many obvious |
| everything from teenage obesity to acts of murder, | | | | flaws in the theory. |
| and the complaints show no sign of letting up. | | | | For starters, what the BSM study fails to take into |
| Any game which promotes a particular vice, we are | | | | account is that young male drivers in their teens and |
| often told, predisposes its more impressionable players | | | | early twenties are practically predisposed to taking |
| to commit that vice in their everyday lives. And as | | | | risks, which is why young driver car insurance |
| each new game gets more immersive and lifelike, so | | | | premiums for this age group are so ridiculously high. |
| the dividing line between computer fantasy and reality | | | | Sure they're impressionable and the sight of fast cars |
| becomes more blurred. | | | | in a computer game might spur them on; but so would |
| Aside from all the Mary Whitehouse-esque nay-saying, | | | | any film with a car chase or even the sight of another |
| this leads to some rather exotic court cases; such as | | | | driver speeding by. |
| the time a 45-year-old Belfast man explained robbing a | | | | Computer games taken on their own represent at |
| lingerie shop by saying he believed he was a magical | | | | worst a small fraction of the reason young drivers |
| elf named Beho. Of course, Beho was the man's | | | | take risks at the wheel. Singling out their influence is |
| in-game alter ego. | | | | thus both short-sighted and rather unhelpful. |
| Recently, two independent research bodies have | | | | The root of the problem with the Munich experiments, |
| cooked-up a new accusation to level at games | | | | on the other hand, is the fact of their being so |
| developers - namely that playing racing games makes | | | | hopelessly dependant on the technology they set out |
| you a bad driver. | | | | to discredit. |
| The first, carried out by driving school BSM, was part | | | | For instance: why would one expect somebody who |
| of a poll of 1,000 drivers. Each was asked if they took | | | | has been playing a computer racing game to sit down |
| more chances on the road after a gaming session - | | | | at a different computer - running a much less |
| and 27 percent of those aged under 24 admitted that | | | | immersive driving simulation - and take it as seriously |
| they did. | | | | as real driving? |
| The second study was carried out by researchers at | | | | Driving and pressing a key at the right moment are |
| Ludwig-Maximilians University in Munich, and took a | | | | two very different things - and so the claim that |
| more exhaustive, three-pronged approach. | | | | simulated racing affects your performance in a real |
| The first part of the Munich study echoed the earlier | | | | car remains unfounded on the basis of the second |
| BSM one. 290 people were asked about their driving | | | | test. |
| habits, their accident records and how often they | | | | As this was the only one of the three to directly test |
| played driving games. The results appeared to link | | | | so-called �driving' abilities - the remaining |
| regular simulated racing with a more aggressive, | | | | sections dealing instead with memories and emotional |
| competitive driving style on real roads, and a greater | | | | responses - the results of the Munich study amount to |
| number of RTAs. | | | | little more than a suspicion about racing games and |
| The second part involved their watching 15 video | | | | driving performance. |
| sequences of a driver approaching different risky | | | | They've perhaps proved that an activity which |
| situations, much like the hazard perception section of | | | | features simulated risk-taking makes us think about |
| the UK driving test. Participants were asked to press a | | | | taking risks - but surely we could all have guessed that |
| key at any point when the risk became too great to | | | | much beforehand? |
| ignore. | | | | In fact, today's drivers have got much more to gain |
| Of the 68 who took part, those who had not played | | | | from computers than they have reason to fear them. |
| racing games beforehand performed better when it | | | | Besides carrying out a lot of the research which keeps |
| came to spotting the risks and pressing the key. | | | | us safe on the roads, through improved vehicle |
| For the final section of the study, 83 people were told | | | | designs and greater public awareness of the dangers, |
| to play either racing or �neutral' (i.e. football) | | | | computers also help mechanics diagnose car trouble |
| games for a set period of time and then asked how | | | | and make our driving theory tests more thorough. |
| they were feeling. Typical responses from the racing | | | | And of course, without computers we'd all still be |
| set indicated a desire to go out and take risks, | | | | ringing round twenty or thirty different car insurance |
| whereas the neutral gamers were left unaffected. | | | | firms every time we wanted a competitive car |
| So there you have it: four separate results from two | | | | insurance quote. |
| independent research groups, all of which suggest that | | | | Hoot Car Insurance |
| playing a little Gran Turismo is going to turn you into a | | | | Supplying vehicle insurance for younger drivers in the |
| boy racer. | | | | UK. |