When Sarah was learning to drive, her driving instructor told her that boys over the last few years had got better at driving and he thought that was due to playing video games. His experience as an instructor led him to believe that blokes had better steering control and ability than women merely because the played far more driving games.
- Image by Juanedc via Flickr
Ann Godridge, our ebook editor and proofer, shared an article this weekend that was interesting. It was from the New Scientist and it suggests that computer driving games (like Grand Theft Auto) may mean teen drivers are more aggressive in their driving through game playing. That there is a real world cross over.
I can remember when I first passed my driving test, there was a rush at being able to drive without correction. Did I drive more aggressively? Yes, I probably did. The reason I mention this was because as a teen I didn’t play computer games at all (they were banned in my parents house), let along driving games.
Most teens know right from wrong and that if they run over a granny Grand Theft Auto style, they would be looking at a prison sentence.
I personally think that the first ‘freedom’ a teen achieves is being able to drive and there is a certain amount of grandstanding involved. Their first accident usually sobers them up, it did me. My first and only accident seriously injured a car and a railing. I was very lucky, Oldchurch Roundabout was very lucky too. Did I drive recklessly again? No. Never. Lesson learned.
In Sarah’s first accident she reversed into a wall, she’s had a thing about walls, trees and kerbs ever since. She doesn’t do any of the driving in our business because she’s in her own words not a very confident driver. Knowing this, she drives slower (yes, that’s her in the middle lane 
) and is meticulous in ‘signaling her intentions’ to other drivers. She never forgets she is driving a one tonne killing machine.
One of the reason we always give preference to those that have more driving experience is, you get better with practice. 5 years experience over 2 years experience, providing everything else checks out, will always get you the job in our business.
What is your driving experiences? Do you think video has affected the way you drive at all?
Kevin
