Ben-DutkaI'm sure this changes depending on where you are in the country, but there are some spectacularly bad drivers in my neck of the woods. It's just…obscene.
And when I say "bad," I mostly mean incompetent. Perhaps it's a combination of massive over-medication and prescription drug abuse and an aging population, and nothing more. They've also made it so a well-trained dog can get a driver's license now, and the way they make cars these days, they're basically idiot-proof. …and yet, the idiots somehow find a way to do the stupidest things imaginable.
This is why I think driving simulators should, in some capacity, be used in testing people for driver's licenses. I'm dead flat serious. Nothing too strenuous; we don't have to be racing professionals, so you don't have to spin a perfect Nurburgring lap to pass, or something. But it would really help to give people a better idea of what to do in case of various emergencies, and I think it would give drivers an overall better feel for the vehicle. That's probably the biggest problem: everyone seems to suffer from a surprising lack of feel. They just have no clue what's going on.
Things are just getting worse and worse. I don't think I've been behind a single solitary person in the past week who actually knows how to merge. Isn't that on the test? Or is that something else they took out to make it easier? You have to match the speed of the traffic flow, people; your car doesn't magically shoot from 35 to 75. You're not driving a Ferrari but I absolutely guarantee it can do 75 and it needs to do it before a hundred vehicles going 75 have to radically change their course to adapt to your incompetence. But it doesn't end there…
Slowing down to go up a hill in the snow. Turning left to right (and vice versa), as if a Hyundai Accent has the turning radius of a semi. Keeping a constant speed appears to be a nigh-on impossible chore. I mean, it just goes on and on. A driving simulator would at least make them more comfortable; I'm almost sure of it. I also firmly believe it would cut down on the instances of panicking behind the wheel. More often than not, people in cars that start to slide do the worst things imaginable. They stomp on the brake ( feather it, or don't touch it at all), wrench the wheel, or worse, do nothing and throw their hands up. Slides are relatively easy with minor touch, especially with all the safety stuff most cars have.
The pluses are endless. You could learn how to drive better in bad weather conditions, how to drive better in heavy traffic, how to drive better at high speeds (is it my imagination, or is everyone driving around like they're catatonic ?), and how to achieve better overall control of the vehicle. You could even have them train with whatever they're actually driving; if they've got one of those front-wheel drive pieces of crap (the American public was lied to in the promotion of that mechanic, by the way), they can learn why they won't be able to steer if their rear end begins to spin. That's just one example; a simulator should be able to simulate most any situation.
I'm very serious about this. It's not a joke. Given the technology we have today, why not? The Army uses simulators and that's life and death on a daily basis. This is just for the sake of better drivers. Insurance companies should embrace the idea…
Reading things like this make me glad that I don't live in a city. I mean, sure, you still get people around here doing 60 in a hundred zone, but you can always overtake them easily thanks to the sparsity of traffic.
A driving simulator would be a good idea (I know GT5 has improved my ability to take corners on dirt ;)), but I think mandatory defensive driving and anger management courses could go a hell of a lot further in improving the situation of the roads. There's only so far that you can go, no matter how good the simulation. We are not, and nor do I believe that we ever will be, at the point where technology is capable of 1:1 reproduction of reality.
Nevertheless, it would certainly help with most of the examples listed in the article. And it'd be a fairly cheap option too.
What if our reality is an imperfect recreation of a REAL reality that IS 1:1?
It would certainly explain why the fallback excuse is that things taste like chicken… as well as the lag we feel when we're tired and why we can't see endless detail… You may well be onto something there, World.
*Twilight Zone Music*
This is funny, two days ago I was driving home from work on the freeway when the idiot in the lane next to me began merging into my lane. He wasn't drifting into my lane mind you… He turned his blinkers on and began to come into my lane. We were literately door to door.
I began to honk my horn, But ultimately had to slam on my brakes to prevent myself from being pushed into the concrete barricades that divide the freeway from the on-coming traffic. I was lucky no one was behind me or I would have been rear ended.
Um…..what he said. Lol, you took my story. If simulators were used for testing I guarantee we would start seeing a lot of people riding bikes 🙂
That was close! Here in Singapore it is simply too costly to own a car… so the only thing I have to moan at are the idiot bus drivers… slow and they don't know how to catch the traffic lights and save time… aaggghhh!
Which is worse, the idiot driver or the idiot bus driver…
Q!
"play.experience.enjoy"
My dad started the driving program for the disabled at Courage Center, I got to visit sometimes and use the latest driving simulation technology (which wasn't much at the time). A little time in a sim couldn't hurt the youngsters.
I'm not sure where I stand on this article… from my own experiences I would say that having played every game in the Gran Turismo series that my cornering skills in real life have certainly been improved, but on the other hand when playing a lot of Gran Turismo I find my driving tends to become more aggressive (something that my friends have also brought to my attention).
In over 20 years of driving, I have never been the cause of an accident (although, I was rear ended recently while at a yield sign), and have a perfect driving abstract. But, I'm not sure that Gran Turismo can take all the credit for that. When I was in high school, I took a driver's education course (where my instructor was a rally car driver, and taught me lots about oversteer, understeer, and how to recover from slides and spins), something that no one else I know has done. I am also required by my company (as is everyone else in their employ), to attend a defensive driving course once every three years.
There is no shortage of idiotic drivers in my city either, and I'm not sure that Gran Turismo (or any driving simulator for that matter) is going to change that. As much as I love the Gran Turismo series, I don't think it can cure inattentiveness and stupidity.
A driving simulator can up your awareness level, so it absolutely will help with dealing with the idiots. 🙂
Wasn't there a study some years back where people who played, and were proficient at, Tetris had measure-able improvements in reaction time, and spacial awareness when it came to accident avoidance? So, I suppose you're right that it certainly wouldn't hurt your driving skills after playing an actual driving simulator, like GT5.
If you think the idiots are bad, just trying riding a motorcycle in the midst of them.
You have to ride & think like everyone's a stupid A-hole around you that's about to do the worst case scenario. So that way if it does happen, you're already mentally planned out your escape from injury seconds before it actually happens.
And if they don't do anything stupid, then it's considered a bonus.
I don't know how many times I've been almost run off the road by careless or "just-don't care" A-holes that want my lane at all costs.
Anyway, when on my MC, I consider cutting me off the same as attempted murder & I will respond to that.
So I'll pull up to the drivers side of them at the next light and make a few choice threats at them.
"I didn't see you isn't an excuse, it's admitting your guilt"
FYI, another thing that gets my goat while on my Harley is whenever somebody in the a car in front of me(driver or passenger, makes no difference) throws their lit cigarette out the window once they're done it. & I'll pull next to them, motion them to roll down their window so I can chew them out. BTW most do wind up not realizing that their cigarette just hit me, & they're apologetic.
But for those few A-hole's that act like they could care less, well….I also smoke & they WILL get my lit cigarette back in return, thrown right into their laps.
There are definitely a lot of drivers who are either ignorant or apathetic to the plight of the motorcyclist. A few years back one of my cousins cracked some vertebrae in his neck (among other injuries) when he was ran off the road on his bike. So I can definitely relate to a lot of your points.
However, I've seen and I know sever bike riders who think they can do all the crazy stuff they see in movies. Perhaps I just happen to know a higher percentage of douchebags compared to most bikers, but having heard what they say about how they ride, and having seen them ride a couple of times, there are certainly a lot of things bikes can do that make it super difficult for cars.
dmiitrie,
Sorry to hear about your cuz.
Yeah, "If Sears gave out drivers license's, even they'd be shocked"
And unfortunately for us, 87% of all MC accidents are cause by those careless/inattentive and/or irresponsible 4-wheeled drivers.
I agree with you about some riders being a-holes too, but for all of my years of MC experience, it seems that it's a few bad apples with the sport bikes that gives rider's a bad name.
I think it's due to those kids that just got their 1st sport bike that will do 80 in 1st gear, which is way too powerful for their severe lack of skills.
And then some of them just want to show off doing wheelies, stoppies, & high-speed weaving thru heavy traffic, while racing thru the gears, etc, etc.
And with some other riders, it's just that they don't have any real experience on their new bikes & never bothered to take a MC safety course that most of the states, dealerships, or motorcycle community now provide.
Plus a new rider should be starting out on a small bike, with no more than a 250 to 450CC displacement.
BTW, I've taught many people to ride right, and a lot of them women.
Thanks. This happened a couple of years ago, so he's made a full recovery already.
And the point you made is probably pretty accurate. The guys I know, definitely fit that picture.
You may be on to something in it helping to raise situational awareness, but an equally large part of driving problems is simple rudeness.
Something that just made me furious a few days ago was when I turned right onto a street and nearly ran into some lady who was stopped halfway in my lane while trying to turn left out of a parking lot. I slowed down and eventually stopped to wait for her to back up into the lot (as any normal person would), but by the time I realized that she wasn't going to move, there was traffic in the other lane. So I was stuck there for a few minutes. And to top it all off, she had the nerve to flip me off when she was finally able to turn because I had honked at her a couple of times. Some people….sigh.
Well, it hasn't helped the Japanese get better at driving.
…….I SO want to laugh.
😉
But that's really more of a this-country phenomenon. The street racers in Tokyo? They can DRIVE.
Points at the very successful GT Academy after reading this article..
After that I realise that T10 will most likely read this and sell Microsoft on the idea thus resulting in Forza Driving Exam kiosks everywhere.
Seriously though, some people are helpless behind the wheel and might be unwilling to learn.
Last edited by maxpontiac on 3/24/2012 12:17:39 AM
Ben I don't live in a big city, complete opposite actually. Town of approx. 2,000 people. 2 minutes and I'm in the country and yet, I find myself constantly wanting to scream at other drivers.
Maintain speed, well that's impossible for people to do, they're too busy texting while they drive. I find it nearly impossible to find another driver on the road that isn't on their cell phone.
Cell phones are great, but when you're driving, drive, don't text your mom to say hello.
Last edited by kraygen on 3/24/2012 12:36:49 AM
kraygen, I don't live in a city, either. Where I've moved to is very much out in the country, and I completely understand what you're saying.
I also live within minutes of very busy areas, though, and let me tell you…it sucks no matter where you go.
I don't think a simulator would really work ….
The secret sauce from that guy's triple-Big Mac that's being balancing across the top of the steering wheel, would still fall into his lap.
And GT6 would need to install a big-a$$ inside rear-view mirror to the game just for women, so they won't accidentally be poking their eyes out with the cruel end of their Mascara brushes.
HA!
Well, the people causing accidents are the morons who can't keep their concentration on the road, and turns back to talk to their kids, talks/texts/whatever on their cell, puts on makeup, all while holding a cigarette in their other hand ofcourse – all while driving. It's amazing the things you see people do while driving.
Or the 95% of people who don't use turn signals, don't stop at stop signs, or think that red lights are more like guidelines anyway…
Sadly, no amount of hours in a simulator would help bad behavior like that.
Actually, it might. It focuses your concentration and that can transfer to real life.
And one of my biggest pet peeves are people who slow down to turn, stop, and THEN turn on the signal. …yeah, I don't need to know now. I KNOW you're turning. I needed to know BEFORE you started to alter your speed. That's the POINT of the signal, genius.
'sigh'
Mine is people that turn at .006 mph like they're hauling filled water balloons in their back seat.
Last edited by fatelementality on 3/24/2012 11:23:24 AM
Don't forget shaving and reading a book, California has some well groomed and well read drivers.
@ fatelementality
If I notice that their window is down, I always holler out, 'don't flip it'.
hows a driving simulator going to help?
problem is people dont give a flying f*ck about the road rules they just think there the only ones on the road!
so hows a driving sim going to help that?
its exactly like that wherever you go!
problem is people have got this mentality that driving is a right not a privilege.
so many people drive around like there the only ones on the road and road rules dont apply to them.
allot of people dont think about what their doing either.
example last thursday i went to the shops and i was stopped at a give way sign.
a lady came the other way, i have to give way to her and she is sitting there telling me to go.
ahhhhh, lady you do realise that i have to give way to you right?
again on my way home i was coming down a narrow street and again another bloody women comes down and stops in the middle of the road.
then tells me to come through.
ahhhh, women how am i suppose to come through when your blocking the road?
my car has the magic ability of driving through things without getting damaged does it?
thats one problem people just dont think about what their doing.
another problem is people just think they own the road.
if i had a nickle for every time i saw someone change lanes, turn a corner, do anything that by law requires the use of a blinker, but they did not use one id by rich enough to never work another day in my life!
no one gives a sh*t about the road rules, they just drive with their blindfolds on oblivious to whats happening around them.
another problem i always have is again if i had a nickel for every time someone turned a corner and cant keep in their lane again id be rich enough to never work another day in my life!
seriously, turning within the lines is that difficult is it?
oh and my personal favorite if i had a nickel for every time i drove down the M4 doing 110KMPH and saw a women doing her mascara with her right hand, her lippy with the left, and steering with her knees id be rich enough to never work another day in my life!
again problem is people just dont give a f*ck about the road rules and think there the only ones on the road.
i mean how much dog food do you have to have caught in your head to steer down the motorway at 110KPH with your knees?
seriously, how are these people not scared sh*tless by the idea?
i know i am!
i wont even go on people who cant do the freaking speed limit!
doing 30KMs below the speed limit in the right lane on the M4, yea perfect way to cause a accident!
explains why every day theres a pileup there…….
this is exactly why every time i go out i grab my rosary beads.
honestly i dont think ive ever been out on the road in the past 10 years without almost having 10 accidents!
I can share your annoyance at people who don't blink.
Walking to school, there's this entrance to the school car-park that I have to cross – and you wouldn't BELIEVE how many idiots turn in while I'm crossing WITHOUT indicators! THEN they have this 'look' at me as if I'M in the wrong! Grrr.
I probably shouldn't reply (I've trained myself not to), but-
Even if they continue to ignore the rules of the road and be inconsiderate drivers, at least they'll be BETTER drivers and hence, less accidents. Pretty simple.
how does that help?
ok there better DRIVERS but that does not help the fact that there not following the road rules.
you can be sebastian vettel but if you go through a red light your pretty much f*cked no?
no matter how good a driver you are!
the problems not that people cant drive.
a friend of works with the cops her job is analysing accidents and helping determine what caused them and whos at fault.
shes always said at least 86% of accidents are caused by someone not obeying road rules has nothing to do with inadequate driving skills.
the other 14% are brought down to speed.
again no matter how good a driver you are if you take a corner too quickly your going to crash simple as that!
so i still dont see how a driving sim would help fix these problems on our roads.
only thing that will fix that is if people stop treating it as a right and treat it as a gift that can very easily be taken away!
that way they will obey the road rules because they know if they dont they will loose it.
I believe Gran Turismo 5 would be a big help for people. Someone side swiped my truck while I was driving down the road at 55mph. It spun my truck sideways, but I recovered very quickly. The same thing happened to me in GT5, with the same truck and it felt like I was replaying the accident. The physics were identical. I am very impressed by the work Polyphony Digital put into the Gran Turismo games.
Wow…this article got a bot to sign up selling car insurance.
That's new.
The power of Gran Turismo, Ben.
I do have a friend that has WAAAAAAY to much road rage. He would be a good driver otherwise. He has played a lot of GT with me over the years but it has not helped his anger issues, that's for sure. People on the road make me mad, but they piss him off severely. He actually bought two extremely loud horns to put on his car so he can blast people out of his way with sound. I'm just thinking that it's gonna cause some old lady to panic and slam on the brakes in front of him.
I just love that little ole blue-hair lady right in front of my Harley that's going 28MPH on a 50MPH in "no passing zone" area on one-lane-each-way highway, for the next 57 miles with her left turn signal on.
And just when that restricted "no-passing" area is finally over & right when I move my Harley into the passing lane to get around her, she has that uncanny ability to actually start making that left turn right when I'm along side her.
And then when she actually hears my super-load Harley(straight pipes) right next to her, she has that look of bewildered astonishment of a young fawn caught in my spotlights.
It's got to be something in that blue hair dye.
Last edited by BikerSaint on 3/24/2012 2:01:03 PM
Hey ya know what, speaking of driving & games….
Although it's certainly not a driving simulator by any stretch of the word(or imagination), I've been playing L.A. Noire & there's quite a few $^&^%$#%^ idiot drivers(and pedestrians) in that game.
Lol, this has just turned into road rage stories. Oh, a great one was someone that crossed right in front of me when a crosswalk was right behind my car. He held his palm out at me like he was Neo stopping bullets when he walked by. It took every ounce of strength I had in me to keep my foot from slamming on the gas and running his stupid ass over.
New camera angles is all I ask for, since if its anything else then i'de be impossible for them to do.
Why? What is wrong with the camera angles?
Q!
"play.experience.enjoy"
I could not agree more i live in NY and i just Purchased my first brand new car. and the following day some chick back up and smash my front bumper. Did not have my car not even 24 hours before it got smashed. My insurance company will love me. 🙁