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Motoring news

Bad driving 'in the genes'

30/10/2009

A flaw in our genetic make-up could be responsible for 30% of bad drivers, according to new research.

The study, by neuroscientists at the University of California Irvine, involved 29 people - 22 with 'normal' genes, and seven with a gene variant - driving 15 laps of a track in a simulator.

The course, designed to incorporate difficult turns and to test how well participants fared over time, was tackled again four days later to assess how well drivers had remembered the track.

The study found that people with the gene variant learned the course more slowly than those without, and that they also remembered the course less well on the second occasion.

The gene variant studied is known to limit the availability of a protein which aids memory by supporting communication between brain cells. The team was testing the theory that people with the variant would have impaired driving ability.

Senior study author Dr Steven Cramer said: "These people make more errors from the get-go, and they forget more of what they learned after time away.

"I'd be curious to know the genetics of people who get into car crashes.

"I wonder if the accident rate is higher for drivers with the variant."

However, a spokesperson for the Institute of Advanced Motorists told Admiral News that everyone has the potential to be a good driver.

"Good drivers are made, not born," she said.

"It's just a question of being conscious of the way you drive, having the right attitude, and taking further training if necessary - because people slip into bad habits."