When video games spell 'Game Over' for drivers

I WAS PLAYING a racing game on the Xbox against my 15-year-old nephew the other day, squirming with shame as he left me for dust for the umpteenth time, when a thought occurred to me: will his skill at computer games be a help or a hindrance when it comes time for him to learn to drive a real car?

He can pilot a virtual BMW M5 around the Nürburgring with no small amount of finesse, but will he be able to chug a Fiesta around a car park without succumbing to the urge to plough it into a lamppost for the laugh?

This is the problem with computer games in which risky driving is promoted. Gamers get hooked on the high speeds and dramatic crashes and the line between fantasy and reality can become blurred. A British School of Motoring survey reveals more than a third of young male drivers say they are more likely to drive faster on roads shortly after a gaming session and 27 per cent admit they take more risks.

Young drivers often feel a sense of immortality when they first get their licence. Compound this with the virtual immortality of video games, where you can slam into walls with impunity, and you have a recipe for disaster. There are no consequences, and therefore, there is no fear. A proper understanding of what can happen if you make a mistake is vital for any driver to stay safe. This comes with experience. But by then, for many young drivers, it is too late.

Of course, there is the argument that games teach the basics of driving, and some driving schools even use driving simulators to prime students before they ever get into a car.

But there is one obvious difference: if you crash in a computer game, you simply start again. Sadly, for the thousands of people killed or injured on the world’s roads each year, there is no reset button in real life.