Are Gamers Better Drivers? Allstate Study Aimed to Find Out if Playing Certain Video Games Improves Your Driving Ability
Allstate Insurance Company is offering 100,000 Pennsylvania drivers between the ages of 50 and 75 specialized computer games. The reason is to test whether these games enhance mental agility and overall driving ability.
Allstate Insurance Company calls its new pilot program "InSight". The program has been developed by Posit Science and the game will be able to track the total number of hours these drivers play. The group's accident rates will be compared to a control group of people who do not play the games.
The games are not all specific to driving. They're designed to reverse age-related cognitive decline and improve visual alertness. Allstate recommends that drivers complete at least 10 hours of training. It's being given as a free option to the 100,000 Pennsylvania drivers, and Allstate plans to decide next year whether to roll it out in other states.
Tom Warden, an assistant vice president at Allstate, said the company chose Posit's technology because it is based on nine years of research into how older drivers' brain fitness might be improved. Allstate claims this may lead to lower insurance rates for older driver's but this remains to be seen.
As a Philadelphia Personal Injury Lawyer, I often differ in my opinions with Allstate Insurance Company. However, in this scenario, I have to give Allstate their just due. If the roadways become safer because older Pennsylvanians improve their cognitive thinking and visual awareness and Allstate Insurance Company foots the bill for the program, this is a win-win situation for all Pennsylvanians.
