Video Game To Help Teens Drive Better – Not To Shoot At Other Drivers

(Mis)Uses of Technology

from the used-for-good-and-bad... dept

While some are trying to sue Grand Theft Auto out of existence for being a bad influence on kids, it seems that folks at Daimler Chrysler took a more proactive approach. They’ve created a video game designed to help teens learn to drive safer. The game is not online as of this posting, but doesn’t sound like it would attract too many users. You get extra points for doing “safe” things like buckling your seatbelt and adjusting the mirrors. There are no difficulty levels (“There’s no difficulty setting in real life, either” the game creators say) and the players have to deal with “distractions” such as mobile phones and their friends in the backseat. It sounds just like… well… driving. Except that it’s not actually driving, and doesn’t sound all that fun. Kids generally are sharp enough to see through this sort of propaganda and tend to make fun of it more than actually pay attention to it.