Are gamers worse at driving than non-gamers?

Here’s an interesting study from Continental Tyres, which purports that gamers think they’re better drivers than non-gamers:

“The study of 2,000 motorists consisted of 1,000 gamers and non-gamers aged between 17 and 39 and quizzed them on their driving habits and attitudes.

 

It found while gamers think they are better behind the wheel, in reality they are far from it. They rated their driving skill at an average of six out of ten compared to non-gamers’ five.

 

And they also claimed to have quicker reaction times, better anticipation of events and greater understanding of the car’s dynamics – such as gear changes and cornering.

However, when quizzed further, they tend to speed more often, claim on their insurance more regularly and believe that any problem can be solved by resetting their game…”

But how does our actual skill compare to our boasts?

“… Gamers also appear worse parkers having crashed into more stationary objects and are twice as likely to scare others with their antics on the road.

 

It also emerged that the longer they spend on games each week , the worse they are behind the wheel.

 

Those who play for more than eight hours a week have been in three times as many accidents as someone who plays for less than one hour.”

If you’re interested, there’s a table at the bottom of the link showing the % responses to particular questions.

I can’t comment on the validity of the survey’s findings one way or another, and I can think of a couple of methodological question marks – for example, did the researchers adjust for age within that 17-39 bracket? Younger people would probably be more likely to be gamers, and also less likely to be safe drivers. Meanwhile, that “believe that any problem can be solved by resetting” part doesn’t ring true for me – it sounds like it was inserted in a burst of overenthusiasm by the author of the press release.

But for all that, I think the survey’s findings do apply in my case. Just ask anyone who’s watched me trying to drive in Brutal Legend…

(Link courtesy of IndustryGamers)