German researchers have conducted a study and concluded that people who play car racing video games may be more likely to drive recklessly and get into accidents. The study was also published in the Journal of Experimental Psychology: Applied.
The study was carried out on 198 men and women who were first questioned by the researchers. They then studied 68 men and found those who played even one racing game took more risks subsequently in traffic situations on a computer simulator than those who played another type of game. After that, the researchers had 83 men play either a racing game or another type of game, and found that those who played the racing game accounted more thoughts and feelings linked with risk-taking than the others.
Joerg Kubitzki of the Allianz Center for Technology, who carried out the study along with researchers at Munich’s Ludwig-Maximilians University says, “”Risk-acceptance is one of the most important and significant factors in the discussion of the origin of accidents caused by young drivers. The question of age restrictions, legally or voluntary, should be discussed not only for “shooter” games but also for this kind of games, which have an impact on traffic safety.”
Previously there have been many cases where video games are blamed for violence. But the truth is, any type of entertainment can influence a person. In fact, after the sequel of Fast and the Furious was released, police had to deploy extra patrol cars as people, after watching the movie, raced each dangerously other outside the cinema.