Correlation between video games and driving

[MaNtiS3024]

I strongly believe that playing a lot of video games will make you a better driver. I used to play video games from 9 to 9 without getting tired and I just drove 8 hours straight from Ohio after Thanksgiving and felt the same. I think video games improve your ability to concentrate on a specific task and after a while it becomes subconscious. What do you guys think?

[Ricochet]

I agree. Before grand theft auto I never would have been able to outrun those cops a few months ago. lol kidding, but I definitly agree with you. Gran turismo experience seriously has gotten me out of a few near misses in real life, and who knows maybe it helped me out on the autox track.

[HogieGT-R]

i got so good with gran turismo that if i play it for a certain time i'll get bored and start to nod off....same if i'm on a long stretch of road for too long without familiar music or someone to keep my brain occupied....

but i do know how to control my car really well

[Moppie]

Driving games will not make you a better driver, if you think they do then you need to some real laps of a real race track with an experiance race driver.

Playing games can, and probobly will improve your reaction times, and it might teach you a little about cornering lines, but it will teach you very little about car control.
In a video game you are only ever focused straght ahead, and only recieveing visual and audio sensory inputs.

When driving a real car you need to be aware of whats going on all around you, back and sides as well as whats in front. You also recieve, whether your Conscience of it or not, sonsory input from touch and motion senses, relating to the cars position on the road relative to its direction of travel, the amount of G force its experianceing as well as things like how much contact the tyres have with the road through vibration and bumbs, and what is generaly called the cars "feel".
You also have an awareness of how the engine is performing in the same way.

[lordvektra]

I don’t think it will make you a race car driver but I do think it helps, not just race type games but all games. they improve hand eye coronation, reaction time, makes you pay attention more stuff like that.

[integra818]

Thanks to GT3, I'm now ready for Laguna Seca

[BLU CIVIC]

i've learned to drive the corners and turning faster...like when to down shift when turning and what not....help a lot...

not vice city made me a violent driver....runnin down people on motorcyles and what not

[Sean]

I think GT3 has made me a better driver. I think that I notice a lot more things on the road then I did before. My reaction time seems to be quicker as well. However, never having any real track time on Laguna Seca, I doubt I could drive as well as I could in the game. Some things just have to be experienced or order to be learned.

[LoW_KeY]

hmm well I played the original NFS, yeah call me crazy, but when I drove my car in the snow and ice (my other car was RWD too) I knew what to do, granted I didn't have a joystick buttons to fuss with.

I knew how to hit the gas and when to brake, but although black ice theres nothing that'll save your ass I hit a nasty ditch one time and landed beside a tree

[blindside.AMG]

I used to think that playing video games made me a better driver too. Until I got behind the wheel of SL55's and E55's. Both have around 500 horsepower. Even with traction control on it is extremely hard to harness the true power of these race cars. Imagine this, your cruising down the road in 2nd gear, traction control on, and when you hit the gas hard your ass STILL wants to swing to the side and get out of control. I'm not sure if any of you have driven a car with 500 horsepower but there is really nothing that can prepare for the feeling you get from it. It's dangerous, but god damn is it fun!

[taranaki]

Until I buy a car that is equipped with a mouse and left/right arrows,there's no crossover for me.

Just remember,in real life,you can't hit restart if you crash and burn.

[IntegraBoy2003]

Need for Speed Underground, game is the shiaaaaaaaaaatttttttttttttttttttt nukkas

[Xv7vX]

Games like GT3 help you learn the principles of better or performance driving. So by playing them you can improve your driving, along with your increased reaction time and hand eye coridination. But i also agree that getting the fastest time in any track in GT3 will not prepare you for the real thing.

[numbware]

GT3 has taught me how to drive in the first place. too bad there's such a big difference in feeling between an R390 Road car and a Geo Metro. lol

[replicant_008]

Observations...

ONE
A study by Bishop Steering in Australia (who hold most of the patents for variable ratio power steering worldwide and also the tools to make the bits for them) found that race drivers rely less on visual information compared the seat of the pants feedback (ie balance, steering feel etc) than their non-race driver counterparts.

Generally, you can simulate pitch, yaw and roll generally on a game platform except in a visual sense (ie you see the car do so in one of those camera views)...

TWO
Some leading drivers do use simulators! But mainly its to help with concentration levels for sustained periods. The ones I've seen use pedals and a wheel with a race seat... some have ever done so with their clobber on but sometimes I think it's simply to occupy those incredibly boring moments for a driver before a race... (and so no-one interrupts them for an autograph)