There’s a billboard up ahead, a roadside sign full of language and imagery. You become emotionally distracted, and guess what happens next?
One researcher has discovered that language used on billboards can provoke an emotional response that affects our driving abilities. And whether the words have a negative or positive connotation seems to determine whether the attention wanders or the foot gets heavier.
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Don’t set off for that long Thanksgiving holiday drive after watching a horror movie. People’s driving behaviors can be subtly influenced by emotionally charged images, and research has shown that people often drive more recklessly after viewing an action movie and more cautiously after seeing a relaxing film.
In the November 20th edition of the Wall Street Journal, Ann Lukits reports that after viewing photos of cute babies, people playing a computer driving game were quick to stop their simulated car during a yellow light. If they’d been watching violent photos, they probably would have driven right through it. This undoubtedly works the same way with any video games you might have been playing before getting behind the wheel.
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Having a hard time parallel parking? Press a button on a touch screen and let the car park itself. This isn’t just a dream, but a reality–that really could happen in the future (NOTE: Subscribers can still listen to this show) because automakers are pouring millions of dollars into systems that hand over the control of a vehicle to a complex network of sensors and computers.
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Psychologists have long argued about whether or not video games are dangerous for kids, but thing’s for sure: They’re bad for their DRIVING skills. And with the majority of fatal auto accidents involving teens, this is not good news.
Teens who play mature-rated, risk-glorifying video games may be more likely than those who don’t to become reckless drivers who experience increases in automobile accidents, police stops and willingness to drink and drive, making their parents wish that teens could be restricted to self-driving cars.
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