3. Gamers Are Smarter Drivers
It's no secret that games require speedy reaction times and the utmost concentration. Even Pong, one of the earliest video arcade games, required an astonishing amount of dexterity. The newer generations of games have done even more to test your reactionary behaviors. Case in point: the quick time event. These display onscreen prompts that the player have to input in a unspecified frame of time. These normally come without warning, and put the character you are controlling in high risk situations, where failure could potentially yield a fatal outcome. In Quantic Dream's 2010 hit Heavy Rain, QTEs are the primary basis of gameplay. They control a plethora of functions, from shooting a basketball, to choosing ways to respond to other characters, to fending off murderous intruders. They are so plentiful and crucial to your experience with the game that you will find yourself completely focused on the screen, holding the controller firmly, and anticipating your next move. You see, this is why video games help produce smarter drivers. Safe driving requires concentration, dexterity, and awareness. Sure, when you're plowing through the city streets in a Camaro in Grand Theft Auto or blazing down the Savannah in a Jeep in Far Cry 2, precision is probably the last thing on your mind. But in the real world of accidents and car insurance payments, your ability to think on your feet can and will serve you (and your wallet) well.