Cops Blame Driving Games For Crap Young Drivers
Some background: reckless driving and young deaths on Australian roads are a fairly big problem here. We’ve got lots of long roads, lots of kids with big cars, and a culture of people driving big cars fast. It’s been a problem in Australian society for decades, but since games are around these days, they’re becoming a convenient scapegoat amongst those who should really know better (ie the police). Having armed himself with a German report on the subject, Superintendent Dave Evans of the NSW Police has told the Daily Telegraph:
Video games can have a negative impact on young drivers because it increases their complacency and their indulgence in risk-taking behaviour. In games you race, you crash and it is a matter of pressing the buttons and off you go again. In real life it doesn’t work that way, you can be killed.
Do any of you kids really think that real life driving comes with Gran Turismo crash modelling?
Video games kill driving skills, police say [Daily Telegraph]
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Comments (AU Comments | US Comments)
Wow, it’s so great we’ve got someone with a 10th grade education trying to push for policy change based on a report from a country where peoples driving habits are completely different.
Ah those glorious boys in the blue, they’re like night club bouncers with guns and tazers.
Yes, it’s entirely video games fault, and not the fact that parents- the ones children learn most of their habits from- tend to be utterly awful drivers. I know both of mine wouldn’t pass the Learner’s test…
@Luke Plunkett: Do you really think the police consider whether or not a young driver was actually doing anything wrong before pulling them over and slapping them with a fine?
Personally, I credit racing games with my ability to drive well. All those years spent at a PC driving at break-neck speed though on coming traffic has increased my judgment and reaction times. I’m not saying I’m perfect, but I can say that I’m quite a lot better than some drivers around here. It probably also helped that I didn’t get my P’s till I was 23.
i rock don,t be mad