Burnout M25

Videogames are linked negatively with many aspects of today's society in the more knee-jerk areas of the media. The findings of small-scale research reports are often taken out of context by the tabloid press, whose underlying agenda boils down to 'new things that we don't understand, we don't like'. As you can probably guess, I don't think that the problems in society can be laid at the feet of Grand Theft Auto but I do wonder if games have had an effect on certain drivers' driving style.

Last night I drove around the M25 from Surrey to Hertfordshire having visited family. Even though it was late, the road was very busy and some of the driving tactics, erratic. I passed my driving test in 1989 (three years after the M25 was completed) and have noticed that questionable driving manoeuvres, particularly weaving in and out of traffic, have increased greatly over those 22 years. I wonder if a generation of drivers have been influenced by playing Burnout, PGR, Ridge Racer et al in how they tackle the roads. Obviously, it isn't all drivers (the roads would be strewn with wreckage and the hospitals full of crash victims if it were) but it only takes a small percentage to have a noticeable effect on other road users.

There are undoubtedly other influences on driving and this piece is just my own anecdotal experience (written the morning following a drive) and having no scientific basis. I also think the increased safety features and driving assistance devices in cars make drivers more prepared to take risks (I can't imagine what it would be like to drive the car I passed my test in - an Austin Metro mk1 - now). There are far more cars on the road now too.

I also haven't ruled out the possibility that, now I've turned 40, I've turned into a Grumpy Old Man!