Race games promote better driving behavior
Your driving behavior and performance are influenced by anxiety, experience, and the aging process, pontentially with related illnesses such as Parkinson’s disease (PD). This is evident from research conducted by movement scientist Gisele Gotardi.
To reach these findings, Gotardi placed experienced and novice drivers, elderly people with and without Parkinson’s disease, and drivers racing gamers and no gamers were tested in virtual driving experiments. The results showed that anxious drivers are more easily distracted in traffic, increasing the risk of accidents. The same applies to elderlies with PD while elderlies without PD restricted their gaze towards the road, in a tunelling effect. Meanwhile, young adults display better driving behavior and more efficient gaze pattern, making them safer drivers. Subsequently, results also revealed that individuals who reguarly practice racing videogames performed better compared to drivers who do not play games. However, the combining gaming and driving experiences – that is, the group drivers who play racing games - lead to better eye movements pattern and driving behavior on the road.
According to the researcher, the studies show that various factors influence our driving visuo-motor skills. Driving simulators could therefore be a useful tool for practicing and improving driving behavior. Anxious drivers, in particular, would benefit from a virtual simulation, for example, by mimicking stressful situations and learning how to best cope with them. However, the researcher emphasizes that this does not mean we should place unlimited trust in driving simulators. Ultimately, driving in the real world remains slightly different from driving in such a simulator.More information on the thesis
